Future Of Leisure Services In Rossendale

EDM number 683 in 2008-09, proposed by Janet Anderson on 03/02/2009.
Categorised under the topics of Leisure, Local government and Sports.

That this House is appalled that Rossendale Borough Council is considering closing a substantial number of leisure and sporting facilities in the Valley, including the swimming pools at Haslingden and Marl Pits and the Bacup Leisure Hall, which will cause enormous hardship and inconvenience to Rossendale residents, particularly the elderly, the young and the disabled; questions the attempt by Rossendale Borough Council to lay the blame for this at the door of the Rossendale Leisure Trust and to fail to consider the Trust's exciting plans for a sports village, despite the fact that external assessments have concluded that the Trust performs strongly in financial management and community delivery; notes that the council has failed to take up the Government's scheme for free swimming for the over 60s and under 16s and spends £1 per head less than the Lancashire average on sport and leisure; calls upon the Minister for Local Government to intervene to ensure that a proper consultation is carried out on the future of sporting and leisure facilities in Rossendale with a view to ensuring affordable access to all; and urges him to insist that the council co-operates with the Leisure Trust to seek a sensible way forward and, if they do not, to urgently reassess the status of the council as a Good Performing Council.

This motion has been signed by a total of 31 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.