Heather has slammed a Council proposal to cut funding to Teme Leisure. This will mean a direct cut to SpArC in Bishops Castle whilst funding levels to other leisure centres in the rest of Shropshire will be maintained for at least another year.
Heather said: “This is grossly unfair. SpArC play a crucially important role is the life of the Bishops Castle area. We live in a very rural area and this is not only our sports centre but our cinema and theatre and provides exercise on prescription as well. It has the only swimming pool for 20 plus miles in several directions!!
Shropshire Councils Budget Strategy report (Cabinet papers p34 M16, 13 July 2016) includes a cut of £77,830 that is identified as 25% cut to Teme Leisure for 2017/18. This will affect SpArC and could close the pool.”
Heather said “This is grossly unfair when the Leader of Council has given Town and Parish Councils a year to work with the Council to find a way to fund these services. What are we to do in South West Shropshire? Why cut us when the rest of Shropshire has untouched Leisure Services? Serco run services such as those in Shrewsbury and Oswestry and are left with no cuts at all!
Heather continued: “The whole community is working hard to save SpArC. There are a number of events over the summer which will add to the £30,000 plus already raised. Far from supporting out efforts the Council now drop this bombshell after promising a years breathing space.
“My colleagues and I will be asking which other Leisure funding has been untouched. Surely if we spread the £77,830 cut over the whole of Shropshire’s Leisure then this would be manageable!
Note: This cut is spread across Bishops Castle, Church Stretton, Cleobury Mortimer and Ludlow Leisure Centres and nowhere else. These are the centres run by Teme Leisure