Rutland leisure centre to close after no operator found

Rutland County Council said it had been left with "very little choice"

A leisure centre in Oakham is expected to close after the council failed to secure a new operator.

Rutland County Council's contract with the current operator of Catmose Sports Centre in Oakham expires at the end of March.

It has received no bids from firms that can meet its requirements.

The council said the leisure sector was facing "untold pressure" from the Covid pandemic and the rising cost of energy.

Rutland County Council said a key requirement from a new operator was to run the leisure centre at zero net cost to the authority and Catmose College.

This had been the agreement with its current operators but the coronavirus pandemic and energy crisis led to it providing "significant unexpected financial support" over the past three years.

The council said it could not afford to provide this kind of financial assistance while it was working to close a "sizeable funding gap".

'Very little choice'

Councillor Marc Oxley said: "The search for an operator to run Catmose Sports Centre has been extremely difficult.

"This is not a decision we wanted to make and we understand the impact it will have on people who currently use the centre.

"Sadly, in the absence of a commercial operator who can run a viable leisure service, the council is left with very little choice."

The council said it would be working with the current operator to notify existing members and users.

It said steps were also being taken to make sure those who accessed the centre as part of a GP exercise referral scheme could use alternative local facilities.