Middlewich Leisure Centre

A statement from Councillor Liz Brathwaite, vice chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee...

Councillor Liz Brathwaite, vice chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said:

“In March last year, the environment and communities committee made a number of decisions relating to how the council’s available budget to support leisure services can be targeted to where it will have the biggest impact, for the most people, while ensuring leisure services can become more financially sustainable.

“These decisions were made in the context of the council’s medium-term financial strategy and the need to secure savings in leisure services of £1.3m in 2024/25.

“While the council receives no permanent income stream from leisure services, it is responsible for paying building maintenance and utilities costs – which are rising drastically – and it also invests in leisure services through the payment of an annual management fee.

“As part of the decisions made last year, it was agreed that the council’s interest in leisure centres in Middlewich and Holmes Chapel would be withdrawn, which means the facilities are handed back to the schools and they are then free to explore alternative ways of operating them.

“As a result, it was recently confirmed that Middlewich Leisure Centre will close in its current form on 31 May.

 “We are aware of the concern surrounding this decision. Everybody Health & Leisure will be contacting their members with information about accessing their other leisure centres across the borough.

“The facilities at Middlewich will continue to be used by Middlewich High School students for curricular and extracurricular activities.”