Councillors blame Brexit as Derbyshire leisure centre at 'serious risk' of closure

A protest was held this week which saw Nigel Clough, Mansfield Town manager and son of legendary coach Brian Clough, join a four-mile march calling for the centre to remain open.

It faces being forced to close with spiralling energy costs leaving a projected deficit of £360,000 for the next financial year.

Now six Green Party councillors have called for an urgent meeting to try and determine the future of the leisure centre.

READ THIS: Derbyshire leisure centre at "serious risk of closure" and blames council for 'refusing to help' with spiralling energy costs

In a press release, the Green Party said there were ‘complex’ issues surrounding the closure that included ‘new legislation which replaces European laws’, as wells as Sport England grants not becoming available until August.

The councillors sought to propose that the council hold an urgent special meeting at the leisure centre to allow the public to speak though this wasn’t granted with Cllr Alison McDermott, Green leader, saying she was ‘not allowed to speak and raise these issues’.

Green Group leader Councillor Alison McDermott said: “The complexities of the issues – the energy cap being lifted in March, new post-Brexit legislation and Belper School being forced to academise – are all the result of the Conservative government’s political decisions.

“Unfortunately at last night’s meeting, this Labour council missed the opportunity to explain them to the residents of Amber Valley and reassure them that they’d look for solutions.”

As reported, Belper Leisure Centre is at “serious risk of closure” and blamed Amber Valley Borough Council for ‘refusing to help’ bridge the funding gap.

Amber Valley Borough Council, however, has said they are ‘extremely sad’ to learn of the leisure centre’s ‘poor state of finances’ but that providing a one-off increase in funding wouldn’t necessarily prevent the same situation arising next year.

It comes after leisure centres nationwide have faced a 400% increase in energy prices with Belper Leisure Centre’s utility bills rising from £112,000 in 2021/22 to an estimated £480,000 in 2023/24. Up to 70 jobs could be lost if the leisure centre closes.