Wirral: Council boss defends demolition of leisure centre

Protesters gathered outside Woodchurch Leisure Centre in 2022

A council leader has defended a controversial decision to bulldoze a leisure centre.

Woodchurch Leisure Centre in Wirral, which has served the community since the 1960s, will be demolished despite efforts to keep it open.

Wirral Council leader Paul Stewart said the risks to transfer the centre to the community "are too significant".

Campaigners had raised £83,000 to save it.

Mr Stewart said the decision to demolish the centre was "tough to make" and believes every opportunity to find a way to retain it was explored over the past 18 months.

He said: "The permanent closure of Woodchurch Leisure Centre was a budget option saving in 2022.

"This was due to the condition of the site, its low usage levels comparable with other sites, the required level of investment and the subsidy it carried."

The council said the centre would need an estimated £29,718 spending on repairs for it to remain open.

Woodchurch Wellbeing, a local community interest company, submitted a plan to have the centre transferred into community ownership.

The back of Woodchurch Leisure Centre

Lynn Howe, one of the organisation's directors, said its plan was "viable", but now had to find other projects to which to give the £83,000 raised.

Ms Howe said: "There is so much potential, so of course we are disappointed."

The loss of the leisure centre has been the subject of protests since the council proposed knocking it down.

Residents said in 2022 that the loss of the facilities would leave the Woodchurch estate a "waste land".

Wirral Council, alongside the Football Foundation, has since invested £2m in new football pitches next to the former leisure centre, in partnership with the Carrbridge Community Centre.

Mr Stewart said the supersized pitch is the "first in Wirral and one of only several nationwide", boasting a pavilion housing toilets, changing rooms, and a community room, with parking provided.

Ms Howe said while the football pitches are a "brilliant asset" it does not change the real "disappointment" felt by the community over the loss of the leisure centre.

A date has yet to be set for the centre's demolition.