Gateshead Leisure Centre will not reopen this year

Gateshead Leisure Centre and Birtley Swimming Centre were closed earlier this year

The reopening of a leisure centre has been delayed until next year.

Gateshead Leisure Centre was closed in July after the council said it was "no longer affordable".

Community-led group Gateshead Active had aimed to take over the site this year but is not now able to.

The leisure operator said "complexities" around the transfer of the building had caused delays, but it remained "fully committed" to reopening the site.

Gateshead Active said the delays meant it was unable to appoint "key personnel" and sign the agreements needed for it to reopen, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The firm said the opening date is expected to be in early 2024, but added it "cannot offer an exact date".

'Disappointing news'

Layla Barclay of the Save Leisure Gateshead campaign group urged the council to "pull out all the stops" to reopen the leisure centre.

She said: "The longer this goes on, the more people get used to it not being there."

Plans to reopen the centre were given a boost when Gateshead Active received £105,532 from the Swimming Pool Support Fund.

A council spokesperson said: "We appreciate that this will be disappointing news to those who were expecting Gateshead Leisure Centre to reopen in December.

"However, both the council and Gateshead Active need to be confident that all requirements for a successful, sustainable reopening have been met before the transfer can be completed."