A much-loved leisure centre could be saved despite Wirral Council’s decision to no longer run it.
In February, Wirral Council’s budget featured almost £20m worth of cuts, which saw the authority withdraw its support for the leisure centre, as well as nine libraries, among other leisure services. When news of Woodchurch Leisure Centre’s potential closure broke, a huge campaign was set up to save it.
At the time of writing, 4,914 people have signed a petition calling for the leisure centre to be saved. Becky Kendrick, one of the petitioners, said: “I really don't want it to close, I think it just needs some TLC. We used to take the kids swimming and since covid we haven't been and it's a real shame!!”
READ MORE: Seven Wirral libraries could be saved but two set to close
Thankfully for people such as Becky, two bids to save Woodchurch Leisure Centre are set to be looked at by Wirral Council and a June 16 meeting of the authority’s Tourism and Leisure Committee could see them clear the first hurdle. One bid is from Woodchurch Wellbeing and Wellness Centre, while the other is from Helen Diamond Swim and Leisure Limited.
A document prepared for the meeting said: “Both are newly formed organisations for asset transfer, but they contain groups that have a range of skills and experience.
“The Woodchurch Wellbeing and Wellness Centre is strongest on the ‘dry’ side of the facility providing information, guidance and advice services, and a range of youth and adult education programmes as well as a community swimming offer. Helen Diamond Swim and Leisure Limited are strongest on the ‘wet’ side of the facility having 28 years’ experience in running successful swimming programmes.”
If the committee approves the recommendations made by council officers, both proposals will make it to the ‘business planning stage’ and we will be much closer to the stage where the council must decide which bid to accept, or to reject both. Wirral Council has a pot of £330,000, initially allocated for demolishing the centre, which can be used by whichever group is successful in taking over the running of the leisure centre.
