Thornbury Leisure Centre to be made funding priority

8:40am Thursday 19th November 2009

Exclusive By Liza-Jane Gillespie

THORNBURY Leisure Centre is set to benefit from desperately needed investment to improve facilities.

Last month Thornbury town councillors told the Gazette about their frustration with what they believed was a lack of investment in the 1970s facility.

However, leaders at South Gloucestershire Council are set to announce at a meeting next week that the leisure centre will be made a funding priority, though no exact figures have been released.

Cllr Heather Goddard, cabinet member for communities, said: "Thornbury Leisure Centre has done sterling service for the local community over the years, but it is showing its age and both the council and leisure trust are committed to bringing it up to a high standard.

"The refurbishment of Yate Leisure Centre has been funded on the basis that extra business can be generated from the improvements and this is likely to be the case with the district’s other leisure centres.

"But Thornbury will require a different sort of funding because it has a relatively small catchment area, meaning that it will be difficult to generate the level of extra income needed to make a refurbishment self-financing.

"We clearly need to seek a cross-party consensus that Thornbury should be the priority when appropriate resources become available in the future and that is the aim of the Conservative council motion."

The news has been welcomed by town councillors, who are now keen to know how much the authority will stump up for the refurbishment.

Cllr Clare Fardell, Thornbury town councillor and South Gloucestershire councillor for Thornbury North ward, said: "It’s the town council that have asked for something to be done and it is good news that it appears to be a priority.

"Most of the complaints we’ve received over the years have been about the changing rooms so we hope now it is a priority and money will be spent where it is really needed.

"There are of course things we are still keen to find out, for example how much and a timescale."

Since 2007 approximately £240,000 has been spent on Thornbury Leisure Centre, through the South Gloucestershire Leisure Trust. Recent improvements have included a revamped café area, new sports hall floor, new gym equipment, gym refurbishment and a new spinning studio.

The matter will be discussed at South Gloucestershire Council’s full meeting at the Council Chamber, High Street, Kingswood, next Wednesday, November 25 (2pm).