THE Conservative-run Trafford Council appear to have set themselves on course for disaster in the local elections next May because of their proposal to close George Carnall Leisure Centre.

That is especially so now that everyone has had time to digest the plans for Urmston Leisure Centre, because all it has achieved is confirming what everyone already knew.

This is that Urmston Leisure Centre, even with the new development, is going to be totally inadequate for the community and can never replace what will be lost by the closure.

Nobody is being fooled by the artist illustration of the exterior and descriptions of what it will have to offer, because more striking is what it doesn't have to offer.

That is a vast amount of space with most indoor sporting activities available for any age group, room for any amount of fitness classes and a centre capable of holding European and national events of any kind.

So at a time when Trafford is planning to build a new leisure centre in Altrincham and a new one in

Stretford, and also inject major investment into Sale Leisure Centre, what we are going to be left with in Urmston, Flixton and Davyhulme is one which some are saying looks like being a nice "Little" centre but one which is incapable of accommodating everyone who uses George Carnall. According to some Conservative councillors that shouldn't matter because 'there are plenty of other fitness facilities in the area which we can use'.

This is precisely why such patronising statements, along with their inability to act on behalf of the community when they were elected to represent us on such important issues, has even turned lifelong Conservative supporters against the party because they realise that if you can't have a voice at local level then what chance have you when it comes to much wider issues that affect the whole nation.

'Save George Carnall' campaign group