Mass vaccination centre to remain open until at least the end of June

Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre will continue to operate as a Covid vaccination centre until at least the end of June this year, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) has confirmed.

The agreement between the health board and Caerphilly County Borough Council to retain the leisure centre as a vaccination centre comes with the Spring booster rollout.

In a statement, ABUHB said: “The Health Board can confirm it has retained the availability of the leisure centre for use in its mass vaccination programme until the end of June 2023”.

With only ten mass vaccinations centres left in Wales, residents near Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre have been asking when the sports hall will return to the public.

Campaigner and Labour councillor for the Cefn Fforest and Pengam ward, Cllr Shane Williams, said: “I find it wholly incredible and unnecessary. I just can’t understand it.

“Everyone who needs a vaccination, even a booster, goes to a doctors surgery or clinic to get one. We need to see the evidence that justifies keeping it open as a mass vaccine centre.”

Cllr Williams was among the campaigners fighting to keep the leisure centre open after it was threatened with closure back in 2019.

Caerphilly Observer asked the council when the leisure centre will return to offering sports and leisure facilities to the public again.

A council spokesperson said: “There is an ongoing agreement with ABUHB to use the site for vaccinations and we are currently in discussions about the potential extended use of the building, but no decision has been taken to date. Any such decision about the use of the building will be communicated in due course.”

As part of the council’s plans to build a vulnerable learning centre next to Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre, it confirmed that the site will be retained and “not replaced”.

Cllr Williams continued: “We are denying people in the area access to sports and leisure facilities. It means that they are often scrabbling about to find a venue.

“If people are always going to be receiving boosters then can we ever expect the venue back? It’s too convenient to keep open and we’re all shocked and disappointed.”