To say that there was a lively debate at Willenhall Local Neighbourhood Partnership (LNP) on the proposed closure of the town’s leisure centre by Walsall’s Tory cabinet would be an understatement reports Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Shires.

Speakers from all sections of Willenhall’s community were adamant in their condemnation of the proposed closure. It was felt that all the hard work that the partnership had put into regenerating the town over recent years was being undermined.

It was pointed out that there were two sides to successful regeneration, it required positive input from both the public and private sectors. This ill thought out closure was seen as a total dereliction by the public sector to support and improve the town’s infrastructure.

The proposed closure virtually lays to waste public leisure facilities to the west of the M6 within the borough. It flies in the face of the council’s vision for the future and makes a nonsense of many of the health priorities that are promoted by Walsall Strategic Partnership.

A resolution will be going forward from Willenhall LNP to this weeks meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny and Performance Panel which meets at Walsall Council House at 6pm Friday 11th November. The resolution will convey the LNP’s concerns at the knock on effect on the future of the town as a viable District Centre and points out the pressures that will be put on school’s budgets as they struggle to find alternative arrangements.