Petition triggers debate on future of leisure centre

More than 2,700 people have signed a petition opposing plans to close a Leicester leisure centre, triggering a council debate.

The petition was launched in response to proposals to shut New Parks Leisure Centre, something organisers previously said would "leave a significant void in our community".

A six-week consultation on the plans, that could see the centre in St Oswald's Road close while facilities at Leicester Leys Leisure Centre in Beaumont Leys are expanded, ended on 3 November.

A spokesperson for Leicester City Council said the petition had received more than 1,500 verified signatures and would be presented at a full council meeting on Thursday.

The authority previously said the proposals were being considered because New Parks was its least-used leisure centre and had a higher cost per visitor than its other facilities.

It added: "Our research has shown that there is a significant overlap in customer catchment with Braunstone and Leicester Leys Leisure Centres.

"Braunstone is used by customers more often and can accommodate displaced users, therefore maintaining New Parks is no longer considered financially viable."

Council rules state that petitions with more than 1,500 verified signatures can be debated by councillors.

The original petition, which was created on 23 September, described the centre as "a cornerstone of community life".

It attracted hundreds of signatures online and Wayne Carlisle, petition organiser, said campaigners had spent the last week collecting even more in person.

He said: "It took us a month to get 2,300 signatures online but then within the week there was about five or six of us, who went round the local shops and stood around the estate and managed to get another 2,700 signatures.

"We've got more physical signatures than we did online using social media."

He added the number of signatures collected in person demonstrated the strength of feeling among local residents.

Carlisle said: "We are not asking for the leisure centre to just be kept open. We are asking for it to be improved so that it becomes the best leisure centre in the city and attracts people from across Leicester to use it."

The authority has previously said if the New Parks complex was to close, it would invest £8m in improvements at Leicester Leys Leisure Centre.

Assistant city mayor Vi Dempster previously said: "It's important to highlight that if a decision was taken to close New Parks Leisure Centre, alternative services and programmes will be available locally in New Parks.

"Fitness and group-based exercise programmes will be developed utilising local venues in New Parks. The only activities that will not be provided will be squash and swimming".

Dempster also said feedback from the public consultation would be considered before any decision was made.

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