By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
A previously-confidential report which led to the planned closure of Kimberley Leisure Centre, reveals Broxtowe Borough Council had been asked to pay nearly half a million pounds plus repairs.
The facility is due close in April after the council said the operating and repair costs were becoming unaffordable.
The decision was taken by the council’s cabinet behind closed doors last month, with the press and public not allowed to attend the meeting or see the figures involved.
Now the report into the issue has been published with only slight redactions, revealing the council was being asked to cover expected losses of nearly £450,000 over the next three years and pay for unlimited repairs.
The leisure centre is jointly run by the council, Kimberley School and Liberty Leisure Ltd.
The report confirms the school had warned in September it would be unable to continue running the centre without its deficits being covered.
It also asked for ‘uncapped contributions towards repair costs’, including pool machinery replacements and future price increases for utilities and supplies.
The report recommended cabinet members rejected these requests, leaving with no choice but to close the facility.
The council had offered to provide £100,000 over the next financial year, but this was rejected by the school.
Two paragraphs from the Human Resources Manager remain redacted.
The full details have come to light after a group of Conservative councillors ‘called in’ the closure – a way of challenging major council decisions.
All parties agreed it would be preferable to postpone the hearing in order to release some of the figures, which had previously been considered financially confidential.
The call in challenge will now be heard on Friday, January 19.
Although part of the meeting will still be behind closed doors, the public will be able to hear discussion about the report for the first time.
The hearing will consider whether the original decision should be overturned.
The call in motion claims the Labour-led council failed to carry out proper consultation, says no alternative options were presented, and the impact on residents’ health wasn’t considered.
Although the pool is due to close, the council and school are discussing whether a gym could be kept going.
The council says it intends to look for a replacement leisure centre site in the north of the borough, although no more details have been released yet.
Kimberley Swimming Club have so far not been able to find a replacement venue within a suitable distance, and have called on the council to think again.
