Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre: Supreme Court bid rejected

The leisure centre costs £125,000 a year to run

The fight to stop a leisure centre closure has failed after an appeal in the UK's highest court was refused.

Caerphilly council plans to close Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre, which costs £125,000 a year to run, and invest savings in other facilities.

The closure was halted after a High Court judge ruled it failed to consider the impact on vulnerable people.

The Court of Appeal ruled the closure was lawful, and now Supreme Court judges have rejected the case.

• Leisure centre campaigners lose legal battle

• Leisure centre closure plan put on hold

Campaigners, led by leisure centre user Shane Williams, from Blackwood, mounted the legal challenge, opposing Caerphilly council's adoption of its sport and recreation facilities strategy, which would mean the closure of the Pontllanfraith facility.

Mr Williams won the case at the High Court to block the council's plan.

It was then dismissed at the Court of Appeal earlier this year when judges heard the local authority already provides 10 leisure centres.

This is more than any other Welsh local authority and makes up more than 70% of its sports and leisure budget.

Opponents won a High Court challenge to block the planned closure

Mr Williams then asked the case be heard at the Supreme Court.

However, permission has been refused "because the application does not raise an arguable point of law", judges ruled.