Anger as council axes leisure centre

Campaigners were left dismayed as councillors approved plans to close a Black Country leisure centre and withdraw funding from an outdoor pursuits centre used by schools.

Protesters wearing T-shirts and waving placards made their last stand against the closure of Willenhall Leisure Centre at Walsall Council House last night.

But the pleas fell on deaf ears as the decision to close the centre, and to withdraw funding from the Bryntysilio outdoor pursuits centre in Wales, were sealed at the cabinet meeting minutes later.

Leisure chief Councillor Anthony Harris described the decisions as "regrettable", but said the costs could not be justified when so few people benefited from the facilities.

He said: "Willenhall remains the poorest performing centre. Its closure offers the greatest saving for the least amount of impact."

Leader of the council, Councillor Mike Bird, added that the Welsh outdoor centre was used by only a fraction of Walsall's pupils. He said: "Bryntysilio sadly, is something we can no longer afford."

Protester Louise Owen, aged 43, a lunchtime supervisor at Green Park School, of Vaughan Road, Willenhall, said: "Willenhall will be a ghost town. Some of the pensioners who use it are in their 80s and 90s. I think it's disgusting."

The Express & Star reported last month that thieves had vandalised the leisure centre's roof, leaving £20,000 of damage.

Councillor Harris told the cabinet meeting that a more recent quote showed that it was "beyond economic repair".

Councillor Graham Wilkes, vice chair of the Bryntysilio Camp Trust, which owns the centre, said the trust would be holding an emergency meeting today.

He said: "I don't think anyone knows what to do. The annoying thing is that we have complied with what the council wanted. We have never increased the rent to Walsall Council by one penny for the last 10 years."

The centre, which is leased by Walsall Council, costs taxpayers around £500,000 a year to operate.