A consultation will begin on Monday (July 10) to help decide whether to redevelop a leisure centre in Wokingham

Wokingham Borough Council’s executive committee agreed to start the eight week consultation over the future of St Crispin’s Leisure Centre at its June 29 meeting.

The London Road centre has been losing members since the council opened the new Wokingham Leisure Centre at Carnival Hub last year. Now the consultation, to run until September 4, will help decide between five options:

  • Keep the centre open
  • Transfer it to neighbouring St Crispin’s School
  • Use it for other services
  • Dispose of the site for residential development
  • Demolish the buildings and mothball site until land values increase and/or a new need is identified

People taking part in the consultation will be invited to make further suggestions.

Cllr Ian Shenton, executive member for environment, sport and leisure, said: “It is important that we make the best use of our facilities and that is why we are thinking about the future of the centre. Nothing is decided and we will use the findings from the consultation, alongside other information, when a decision is made.

“The council has invested very heavily in sport and leisure facilities and will continue to do so, but investment and use of assets must always consider value for money and be for the overall good of the whole community.”

More information will be available at drop-in sessions at the centre on:

  • Tuesday, July 18 – 12pm to 1.30pm
  • Thursday, July 20 – 5.30pm to 7pm
  • Saturday, July 22 – 12pm to 1.30pm
  • Wednesday, July 26 – 12pm to 1.30pm
  • Friday, July 28 – 5.30pm to 7pm
  • Sunday, July 30 – 12pm to 1.30pm

Cllr Shenton added: “The decision on the centre’s future won’t be taken lightly: I think there are pros and cons of all the options and we must consider a lot of factors. It is particularly important to stress that this is not a cost-cutting measure; due to the nature of our contract with the provider, Places Leisure, we would not save money by closure.

“But we believe it is worth considering the options to see if a better use could be made of the centre or land.”

Image: Google.

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