Councillor receives ‘hundreds’ of letters from pupils protesting leisure centre closure

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A councillor has received “hundreds” of letters from pupils at nearby primary schools pleading with the council to keep Cefn Fforest leisure centre open.

Labour councillor Shane Williams, who represents Cefn Fforest and Pengam, has received letters from children of nearby schools ahead of a protest outside the village’s leisure centre.

It is one of three leisure centres across Caerphilly County Borough facing the axe as the council looks to plug a £45million hole in its budget.

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, Cllr Williams said: “It is no exaggeration to say how important Cefn Fforest leisure centre is, not just to the local community, but to the much wider community as well.

“It had over 97,000 users last year. It also meant some 440 school children could have vital swimming lessons.”

In response to the decision, pupils from schools including Markham and Blackwood Primary wrote letters in protest, describing their “disappointment” at the idea of losing the pool.

Cllr Williams continued: “The fact that all these young children have taken the time and effort to write these letters, explaining what their local pool means to them, is quite incredible.

“As the consultation draws to a close, I sincerely hope that those who will make the decision on the future of this pool, read these letters to fully understand the devastating impact its closure will have on them and their future.

“As I have said many times, we must do all we can to safeguard this fantastic and vital facility.”

With the council’s public consultation on leisure facilities ending on Wednesday March 12, Cllr Williams and other have arranged a protest outside Cefn Fforest leisure centre.

“There’s been massive public outrage to the proposal from residents, so we’ll be outside the centre encouraging people to sign the petition and get involved during the consultation event.”

Drop-in sessions for the three leisure centres have been running, with future dates also planned.

• New Tredegar Leisure Centre, Tuesday March 4, 12pm to 2pm;
• Cefn Fforest, Wednesday March 5, 6pm to 8pm;
• Bedwas Leisure Centre, Friday March 7, 12pm to 2pm;
• Online, Monday March 10, 5.30pm to 7.30pm.