TRAFFORD Council on July 26 voted down a Labour Party motion to save the George Carnall Leisure Centre which serves the Lostock and Davyhulme area.

The George Carnall Centre offers many sports and services to the local community. Its success has been built up over 35 years by the hard work of many volunteers and the friendly staff.

Local people want the centre saved for the sake of future generations. Over 1600 people have signed a grassroots petition to save it from destruction by the Council.

Instead the Tory-controlled council has chosen to close the centre and to spend £10 million on a new sports centre in Altrincham and over £4 million on improvements to Sale.

That's good news for the richer areas of the borough but no help to the people of Lostock and Davyhulme who are losing their centre.

At the last meeting of the council's Health and Wellbeing Board it was pointed out by the Chief Medical Officer that there are huge differences in health expectation within Trafford Borough. Life expectancy can be 15 or 16 years longer in the more prosperous areas.

Within a week of this announcement Trafford Council has acted to close its large sports centre in the north of the borough.They have the cheek to say we should all celebrate new investment in the richer south - where more Tory voters live.

Could this be a cynical ploy to extend the lives of Tory voters in the south while not caring about the lives of people who might dare to vote differently?

Well Mr Anstee, we are not dead yet!

Keith Evans, Urmston resident