Half of leisure centre staff being forced out

Half of the workforce at Willenhall Leisure Centre will leave in days in a bid to cut costs and keep the centre open, it emerged today.

Opening hours at the Bath Street centre will also be cut to save cash, including introducing midday closure on Saturdays it has also been announced. Six workers will move out of the under-threat centre this week to take up new roles within the council, including some members of staff who have worked at the leisure centre for more than 20 years.

The latest cost-cutting measures have been announced after it was revealed that swimming pool opening times at the centre would be cut.

The measures are all part of an action plan to be implemented from Monday to reduce costs at the centre, which is losing £160,636 a year and is suffering from dwindling visitor numbers.

Details of new opening hours were announced today, including closing the centre an hour earlier than normal at 8pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays. On Wednesday evenings the centre will close at 10pm instead of 10.30pm.

And on Saturdays the whole centre will close at midday instead of 6.30pm. The popular Saturday evening Ballroom Dance will run from 8pm to 11pm instead of 7.30pm to 11.30pm.

The price will go up to £4.

As part of a bid to get more users through the door badminton sessions have been reduced from £6.65 to £5 per court and sunbeds are being reduced from £5 to £4 for a 10-minute session.

The cost of swimming is being increased from £3.60 to £3.80, but children and over 60s get in for free. A six-week swimming course for children is being reduced in price to £20.

Council chiefs have given campaigners until next month to prove the centre has a viable future under the new timetable. If not it will close in August.

Centre manager Stuart Webb, who is among the staff being redeployed elsewhere in the council, said: "It is going to be sad for those leaving this week. Some of them have been here for 20 years or more."