OPPOSITION councillors are set to demand that plans to close Davyhulme's George Carnall Leisure Centre be shelved 

A meeting of Trafford Council next Wednesday (7pm), will consider a motion submitted by Labour councillors while residents and centre users are also expected to make their concerns heard.

A public petition calling for the centre to remain open has already been signed by more than 1,100 users and residents.

The Trafford Leisure Community Interest company announced last autumn that the centre would be shut once an expansion of Urmston Leisure Centre had taken place and as part of a £24m investment to improve health provision across Trafford.

The motion, is also being supported by Stretford and Urmston MP Kate Green, who has previously asked for the closure to be ditched.

She told the Messenger: "Nearly 200 constituents who use the centre have responded to my survey to tell me how concerned they are at plans for its closure.

"They've been told that new investment at Urmston Leisure centre will mean improved and expanded facilities there, but families are already reporting lack of capacity, that clubs are refusing new members because they don't have room, and that the additional investment in Urmston is being used to repair existing facilities rather than providing for new activity.

"George Carnall is a really important asset for the community, promoting health and wellbeing,and enabling more people to enjoy sport.

"I won't tolerate a downgrade in services that help to keep local people fit and well, and enjoy sport together. That's why I support local people and Labour councillors who are calling for a halt to closure plans, and for open and transparent consultation and dialogue with residents."

Next week's motion reads: "This council notes the strength of feeling of many residents in the M41 area regarding the proposed closure of George H Carnall Leisure Centre in Davyhulme.

"The council therefore makes clear its opposition to the proposed closure of the centre and undertakes to revisit this proposal with Trafford Leisure CIC, with a view to keeping the facility open."

As part of the motion, councillors say they recognise the important of role the centre plays in improving the health and wellbeing of residents and is a valued community facility in the Davyhulme area providing a wide range of services, many of which were not routinely available at other leisure centres in Trafford."

The motion also details that Urmston Leisure Centre has limited physical scope for expansion on a compact and already well-used site. It adds that consultation to date has been extremely poor with many residents complaining of a lack of information and open dialogue with Trafford Leisure CIC.

The leader of the Lib-Dem group on Trafford Council Cllr Raymond Bowker said: "We are not jumping on this particular bandwagon here, but we have been promised a new sports centre in Altrincham for the past five years and the ruling group keep telling us it is in the pipeline; it can only be a very long pipeline!"

Cllr Bowker, who represents Timperley's Village ward added: "I am very concerned about what is happening across Trafford as we have lost all of our youth services and we have been offered all of these things but it's not materialising and, as it stands, I would not be happy with them closing George Carnall."

The Messenger contacted Trafford Council for a response to next week's debate, but was referred back to the authority's previous statement which reads: “Trafford Leisure, a Community Interest Company, was formed by Trafford Council in 2015 following a decision by Trafford Community Leisure Trust Board, to cease operating the council owned leisure centres and golf courses.

"The new company, which operates independently, took on responsibility for operating the council’s leisure facilities at this time. All the council's leisure assists remain in the council's ownership.

"The council also at this time undertook a review of its leisure strategy as it fully recognises the importance of physical activity and its benefits to health and wellbeing. The revised physical inactivity strategy recognises the importance of increasing physical activity across the borough and highlights the importance of the ability to access affordable leisure facilities as well as the benefits of basing these facilities within communities.

"In an unprecedented move and as a sign of our commitment to modern, accessible and affordable leisure provision across the borough, the council is committed to investing in excess of £24m to modernise these facilities, ensuring a facility is available in all of our major towns for the benefit of Trafford residents, including proposals to build a new leisure centre with other potential further investment opportunities under review.

"Increasing opportunities for greater levels of physical activity is something that the council is committed to and recognises that this activity doesn’t necessarily have to take place in a leisure centre. We are working with many of the 130+ clubs and associations that thrive in the borough and this mix of opportunities and choice for our residents is really important.

"The leisure company also has a much wider remit to reach out into the community and engage with people that would never normally consider becoming a member of a leisure centre, providing opportunities and encouraging everyone to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle.

"They have also worked hard with Trafford CCG to sign up over 40 GP's to engage in social prescribing which has seen over 450 people in a relatively short space of time referred to undertake an eight week programme of physical activity. This is part of wider plans to link the wellbeing of our population with regular participation in physical activity and why it is important we proceed with the leisure review. Every single community in Trafford will have access to fantastic provision.

"The board of the leisure company is made up of a diverse range of people, including elected members, senior council officers and people with commercial, health, industry specific expertise . Their role, as directors, is to act in the best interests of the company and to serve the residents of Trafford and the communities in which they live. This is part of the ethos of the leisure company and the basis on which it was formed as a community interest company supporting the vision for a physically active borough with great health and wellbeing outcomes for residents.

"The companies independently audited accounts are published in line with company law. Trafford Leisure is operating successfully without a subsidy from Trafford Council. Many other authorities have significantly closed or restricted access to leisure facilities around the country.

"Here in Trafford, we are investing £24m across the estate and operate the first publicly owned leisure company in Greater Manchester to operate profitably on a commercial basis without public subsidy. “