The council is trying again to close the leisure center due to needed repairs and modern facility plan.
The council first wanted to close it back in 2018. This was part of a sports plan from 2019 to 2029. The council thinks fewer, better centers help more people. Money is tight, as the council runs many leisure centers on a budget of £4.2 million.
People strongly oppose closing the center and its sports pitch, which led to legal issues. The court stopped the first closure in 2019 because of equality concerns. It became a vaccine center, but did not fully reopen after that. The council tried again in 2023, but faced legal action quickly.
Last month, the lawyers for the claimant said the council gave in on one point. People say the center gets a lot of use and it has been threatened for some time. Before the pandemic, almost 80,000 people visited, and almost two-thirds used the 3G pitch. Most people in a survey said closing it would be bad.
Critics say there are not enough sports places or pitches. They worried other sites would be too far. The council says the center needs £476,000 in repairs, and the pitch needs £280,000 to replace. A new center will replace most of what is lost, and it will include a smaller pitch. The council says seven other sites are close by. These modern sites can run better.
A council group will talk about the plan on February 11. Also, a public vote about closing three other centers is happening. These are in Bedwas, Cefn Fforest, and New Tredegar.
