Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

A petition calling on a council to keep open Kimberley Leisure Centre has passed more than 3,300 signatures – as it emerged the public will be excluded from a council meeting which will make a final decision on its future.

The centre, in Newdigate Street, which includes a swimming pool and gym, is jointly run by Broxtowe Council, Kimberley School and Liberty Leisure Limited.

In November it was revealed the council was considering closing the facility after a Conservative councillor said he’d been told staff had been informed it was likely to shut.

Coun Philip Owen (Con) also said a council report on the centre, which went to the council’s cabinet in July 2023, revealed there was a £90,000 deficit for managing the swimming pool.

Broxtowe Council has ruled members of the media and public will be excluded from the meeting that decides the future of Kimberley Leisure Centre. Photo: Other

However, the report was an exempt item, meaning it has not been made public.

A final decision on the future of the leisure centre will be made at the council’s cabinet meeting on tomorrow (Tuesday) but the press and public are due to be excluded from this part of the meeting.

The online petition says the closure would ‘deprive local residents of these treasured facilities’.

But it also adds the centre is ‘way past its best before date’.

Kimberley Leisure Centre is currently set to close next year. Photo: Google

New charges for Eastwood and Kimberley car parks in the new year

The petition states: “The loss of this centre will not only deprive local residents of these treasured facilities, it will adversely impact the health and well-being of the people of north Broxtowe.

“This petition needs the support of current residents of Broxtowe, and also those who have left the area but benefited immeasurably from this centre when they lived here.”

On signatory, wrote: “Taking away this resource will be a massive impact to the community.”

Broxtowe Labour councillors Will Mee, Chris Carr, Andy Cooper and Peter Bales said: “Since being elected we have fought for the leisure centre – but our budget is not limitless.

“The effect of this will have a huge effect on the entire north of the Borough, including Kimberley but also Eastwood, Nuthall, Watnall and other surrounding areas and the number of signatures on the petition clearly shows this.

“It is not over yet and we will continue to push for what we can, with a constrained budget, like so many local authorities of all parties across the country.”

Last month Coun Owen also accused the council of being ‘secretive’ over the future of the leisure centre.

A previous agreement in the running of the centre between East Midlands Education Trust and the council ended in April 2022.

Kimberley School and the council then took on the running of the leisure centre.

The Kimberley School and East Midlands Education Trust said: “We are in discussion with Broxtowe Council about the current agreement we have with them regarding The Kimberley School Sports Centre.

“Broxtowe Council is set to meet shortly to discuss the situation and we expect to make a formal announcement when final decisions are confirmed.”

The council has witheld publication of reports on the decision with the agenda stating they should ‘not be made public under parts of the Local Government Act designed to protect information relating to individuals and the financial affairs of businesses and people’.

It did not respond to a request for further comment on the reasons for this.

Public won’t be allowed into meeting that decides Kimberley Leisure Centre’s future