OPPOSITION councillors have failed in a bid to get council chiefs to oppose plans to close Davyhulme's George Carnall Leisure Centre.

Trafford's Labour group put forward a motion at a full council meeting on Wednesday calling for the proposal to be reconsidered ' with a view to keeping the facility open."

A petition aimed at saving the centre has 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 plan that will also see a £24m investment into leisure provision across the borough.

At the full council meeting, Labour's Cllr David Acton said: "The George Carnall Centre is a really valuable asset and many residents are really angry at this proposal.

"It provides a wide variety of services, many of which are not routinely available in other centres."

But the ruling Conservative group put forward and passed an amendment to the Labour motion, in which the group said it "acknowledges the concerns expressed by users of George H Carnall."
It went on that it "undertakes to continue the discussion with a view to ensuring a solution is brought forward that provides all residents of Davyhulme, Flixton and Urmston with accessible, modern and fit for purpose local leisure provision."

Cllr Laura Evans, a Conservative Executive member, said: "Trafford Leisure has no intention of closing George H Carnall until the completion and refurbishment of Urmston.

"All current users of George H Carnall will have fantastic options in the future.

"We want everyone in Trafford - including Urmston and Davyhulme - to have access to modern, fit for purpose facilities."

Cllr Alex Williams, also a Conservative Executive member, said the £24m scale of investment the authority is putting into the borough's leisure facilities is 'unprecedented'. He said all areas would benefit, including Urmston.

"We recognise there are concerns from residents and we will work with residents and community groups."

But Labour group leader, Cllr Andrew Western, said the Conservative amendment meant "go ahead and close George Carnall."

He contrasted the fact that the authority was putting £24m into leisure services yet closing George Carnall.

"How do you expect residents to be happy with that?

"I would be furious if I lived in that area."

A Labour amendment that many of the proposed new leisure facilities should be provided at George Carnall was defeated.