By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
A challenge to the closure of Kimberley Leisure Centre which was due to be heard behind closed doors has been pushed back so it can be held in public.
Broxtowe Borough Council’s Cabinet voted earlier this month to shut the ageing facility, saying the maintenance costs had become unaffordable.
It is due to close at the end of March.
But the council’s opposition Conservative group ‘called in’ the decision, a form of challenge which could force a review of it.
The resulting Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday (December 21) was to be held behind closed doors because of ‘commercially sensitive’ information contained in the report.
However, councillors of all parties argued the meeting deserved to be held in public in the interests of transparency.
Council leader Councillor Milan Radulovic (Lab) said: “We were told we couldn’t make the original decision in public as the report contained information not in public domain.
“I insist this meeting is held in public.
“There has been far too much speculation, rumours and downright lies in social media. Let’s hold this in public and get it in the public domain.
“There’s no information in this document that’s confidential or secret in any way.”
Councillor Philip Owen (Con), one of the five members who had called the decision in, welcomed the motion.
“That was something that I asked for at Cabinet. I don’t think there’s anything in the report that is confidential,” he said.
“It’s right that the general public should hear the full arguments and counter-arguments.”
The meeting was adjourned to be held in the New Year with full public reports.
Councillor Hannah Land (Lib Dem) said: “More info in the public domain will help us to better decide how to proceed.”
Kimberley School, which jointly runs the leisure centre, says the facility is losing £300,000 per year and it needs a £2.4m basic refurbishment.
The Labour-led council says it was unable to come to a funding agreement after months of negotiations.
There was also discussion at the meeting over whether Cllr Owen and other Conservatives who had signed the letter could be allowed to sit on the committee.
“I’m not pre-determined in the slightest. I shall listen to my own arguments, which will be excellent, and listen to others’ arguments, which won’t be as good, and then make up my mind,” Cllr Owen said.
He eventually agreed to step aside following legal advice.
Councils are legally required to hold a meeting within seven days of a call-in challenge being submitted, although they don’t have to make a ruling in this time.
A new date will be set for to be heard in the New Year.
