Fight to save leisure centre

At a public meeting held to discuss the future of Haybridge Leisure Centre an email of support from the One Show host was read out.

Mr Chiles, a former Haybridge High School pupil, was contacted by campaigner Dr David Nicholl who is fighting Bromsgrove District Council's decision to withdraw funding from the centre, which is in the grounds of Haybridge High School in Brake Lane, Hagley, near Stourbridge.

His email read: "In my broadcasting career it's been my privilege to meet and report on many barking mad people and the barking mad decisions they make. But I really can't think of any more barking mad decisions than the one to close the leisure centre.

"I appreciate that budgets are tight, funds are finite and sacrifices have to be made somewhere but surely there's a more intelligent option than closing down such a marvellous facility barely 10 years after it opened."

Around 100 people attended the meeting at Hagley Community Centre. Bromsgrove Council initially took the decision to withdraw funding in 2006 in a bid to boost cash flow and denounces responsibility of the site on April 1. It means the centre will close to the public for the majority of the time. The school will use some of the facilities but the fitness suite will close completely and evening bookings for squash courts will be drastically cut.

But campaigners are angry about the consultation process and say they were not told about the plans.

Haybridge High School will take over some of the responsibility for the centre – but chairman of the governors, Tony Homer, raised concerns. He said the school would try to accommodate bookings form the public. But he added: "Legally, we cannot direct school funds into running the leisure centre."

The panel will meet again next Thursday.