Wimborne school leisure centre to cease public operation

The leisure centre is owned by the school but is operated by Dorset Council

A school leisure centre has said it will no longer be open routinely to the public after a council withdrew funding.

Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre (QELC), based within Queen Elizabeth's School, Wimborne, receives more than £500,000 a year from Dorset Council.

The school said public operations will cease when the subsidy ends in March.

It said it was arranging for the centre to be available to clubs and community groups for private hire.

Dorset Council gave notice of its withdrawal from the loss-making centre in 2022.

It previously said it could not justify spending a third of its overall leisure budget on the site, which is owned by the school's trust.

The council said the centre's 40 permanent staff were being helped to find new jobs.

The school will run the centre - which includes a 25m swimming pool, a gym, a sports hall and an outdoor sports pitch - from 1 April 2024.

Liz West, from Initio Learning Trust, which runs the school, said: "We have explored every possible way of maintaining the leisure centre, including through partnerships with private operators.

"But without significant capital investment it simply is not viable.

"The building itself needs improvement and we are still in negotiations with Dorset Council to secure their contribution for the works.

"They have committed to handing back the QELC building in good condition and have set aside a £730,000 budget.

"We very much hope and expect that this funding will be provided in full."