Deepings residents and local business leaders are hoping to take the future of the town’s leisure centre into their own hands.
Angry councillors accused South Kesteven District Council leaders of giving the town no benefits in the next year’s budget after scrapping a £10million revamp of the centre because it was too expensive.
South Kesteven District Councillors voted in favour of approving the 2023/24 budget, including a £5 tax rise for band D properties, at meetings on Monday and Tuesday.
Deepings members were particularly angered by a £500,000 fund for LeisureSK when the area had suffered the loss of its facilities.
Councillor Virginia Moran said she had read through the budget from cover to cover.
“It’s rapidly getting to the stage where the Deepings may as well pull up the drawbridge and empty their own bins because we’re getting nothing, as usual, nothing whatsoever,” she said.
“We don’t benefit from any contribution whatsoever to arts and culture, we have no arts centre like everybody else does and no leisure facilities – yet we’re still expected to pay for thee facilities that have taken place elsewhere in the district.”
Deepings Leisure Centre closed in July 2021 due to serious health and safety concerns.
SKDC had examined a series of options around the centre, eventually agreeing a £10.5million refurbishment in early 2022.
However, in November leaders scrapped the plans altogether, blaming spiralling costs.
Plans and funding for a 3G football pitch on the nearby playing field were also scrapped.
Councillor Moran revealed on Monday that the AllianceSK Group on the council had been leading “a large group of residents” in pursuing their own plans.
They are looking to set up a charitable community trust in order to access grant funding and have already spoken to Lincolnshire County Council which owns the building to gain access to assess the site and come up with a business plan.
The group has found around nine trustees at the moment, including a chartered quantity surveyor, a hotel renovator, a lead campaigner and the chairman of the Deepings Business Club.
Councillor Moran told the council to expect an approach for financial assistance “in lieu of the million plus” that the Deepings had cost the council.
“If we’re prepared to shell out half a million pounds on Stamford Arts Centre, dedicate a whole government High Street fund to Grantham and do extensive maintenance in Bourne then the Deepings deserves something, even if we do it ourselves,” she told councillors.
The Deepings Leisure Centre has been closed since mid-2021
Following the meeting she said: “We’re not talking bells and whistles, we’re looking at getting the roof repaired, new heating system and getting the hall opened for the school to do PE and exams.”
She said if costs were around £3 million it would be out of reach, but that if they could be brought down to £1.2-1.3m it was “potentially doable”.
The group will be looking to raise money from both the public and local businesses.
Councillors expressed further anger over the loss of funding for the 3G pitches – something they said they hadn’t realised would be taken away when the council relinquished the site in November.
Councillor Ashley Baxter said: “There’s going to be a lot of head scratching in my ward as to why we should be paying a share of £500,000 pounds for a company that doesn’t provide any services in the Deepings now.”
Councillor Phil Dilks called it a “further betrayal” and “further blow” to the area.
Councillor Adam Stokes told councillors the funding decision around the 3G pitch had been made at the November meeting.
He said there a financial plan would be needed to have any discussion regarding funding for the Deepings Leisure Centre.
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