MP candidate petitions to reopen GL1 Gloucester leisure centre

An MP candidate has launched a petition to reopen a Gloucester leisure centre that was closed suddenly.

The GL1 Leisure Centre and Oxstalls Sports Park shut on Friday, with more than 150 jobs axed, after charitable trust Aspire went into liquidation.

On social media, Tory Gloucester MP Richard Graham said the council is "picking up the pieces" and looking for "potential solutions".

City Labour candidate Alex McIntyre said the closure was "unacceptable".

Calls have been made for an emergency council meeting over the closure.

"The council's position appears to be that these facilities will now remain closed until September 2024," Mr McIntyre said.

"Where do the council propose to send children for swimming lessons? What happens to the Park Run that is organised at Oxstalls Sports Park every week? What happens to the NHS patients who go to GL1 for their rehab?

"We have set up a petition so that residents in Gloucester can have their say on whether they want to see this vital community facility stay open."

In response to public comments on the closure, Mr Graham said he was "seriously disappointed" Aspire Trust had "walked away from its responsibilities".

"It is wrong to blame the city council without knowing the facts," he said.

He said there were opportunities to "restore some services soon - subject to legal constraints".

"[Finding] a proper tender for a new organisation to run both sites will take longer," he added.

Concerns over the condition of facilities at the centre's swimming pool were raised by parents and councillors in July.

The centre was being run by Aspire on behalf of Gloucester City Council.

The Aspire Sports and Cultural Trust Board said it had reached the end of its 15-year contract.

It is understood the trust did not believe it would be able to continue to operate even with significant additional council support.

Financial pressures caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the more recent rise in utility costs had left it struggling to continue.

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