The long-running closure of a Sefton Council leisure centre is impacting users’ mental health, it has been claimed.
“Ageing” solar panels at Bootle leisure centre which are thought to have caused damage to the roof led to the long-term closure of the site almost three years ago. One person who was a regular user has criticised Sefton Council for the delay in getting the site re-opened.
The woman, who contacted the ECHO in exasperation at the ongoing closure, said: “The residents of Sefton deserve better.”
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She said the ongoing closure was impacting “massively” on her mental health after activities she attended were forced to end as alternative accommodation could not be found.
She said that before the sports hall closure in 2020, sessions would sometimes be cancelled at “short notice” due to leaks in the roof, adding: “I’m not sure if anything was done to fix the roof.”
She continued: “In March 2020 we went into lockdown and we have not been able to use the hall since. I have emailed Sefton Council numerous times but no date has ever been given for a fix, just that they are looking into it.”
She said she has also contacted her MP Peter Dowd about the issue, who advised her to contact the local authority.
She said the hall was well used by groups in the area, including a family member who used to do gymnastics there.
She added: “I personally used the hall for a sports activity. We have not been able to find alternative accommodation. This massively affects my mental health. The residents of Sefton and Bootle deserve better. We do not have any other council facilities. “
A report presented to Sefton’s full council in November last year revealed the borough had struggled to find anyone willing to tackle the problem – caused by the roof’s “ageing” solar panels, which were believed to be behind a series of major leaks through the roof.
As a result, the report stated the entire roof would need to be replaced at a cost of £200k. The expenditure was approved and included in the council’s recently published spending plans for next year – although there has not been any confirmation as to when any work is due to start on the building.
A Sefton Council spokesperson said: “We are committed to providing a full range of leisure activities that contribute to people’s physical and mental health. As well as the leisure centres and activities we provide across the borough, our Living Well Sefton service can provide help anyone who feels like they may be struggling and will assign a specialist mentor to work with people suffering with mental health issues.
“The mentor can quickly and acutely identify a range of services across the local community that will be able to support those residents. Often these services may be even closer to home than our leisure centres.
“We aim to be in a position to re-open the leisure centre hall just as soon as we can do so in a way that guarantees the safety of centre users and staff.”
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