Islwyn MP Chris Evans has defended his role in a march against proposed leisure centre closures.
Caerphilly County Borough Council wants to maintain four “strategic” leisure centres in Caerphilly town, Risca, Newbridge and in Aberbargoed or Bargoed to service the entire borough.
Leisure centres in Cefn Fforest, Pontllanfraith, New Tredegar and Sue Noakes face the greatest risk of closure as local schools would be unable to assume management of the sites.
Labour MP Mr Evans was criticised by Labour council leader Dave Poole for taking part in a recent protest against the closures.
The march, which was held on November 3 – the 179th anniversary of the Chartist uprising – was also attended by former Labour leader and Islwyn MP Lord Neil Kinnock and former Islwyn MP Don Touhig.
Mr Evans told Caerphilly Observer: “I stand by my comments in the past. I will continue to campaign with the community against the closures of leisure centres in Cefn Fforest and Pontllanfraith.”
In a letter to the MP, Cllr Poole criticised his party colleague by telling him: “We are disappointed in your complete lack of consultation with the council over the sports and recreation strategy. Your joint statement with previous Islwyn MPs and your speech at the recent Blackwood march displayed a complete lack of understanding of the strategy.”
He continued: “It is more disappointing that your fellow MPs and AMs have had constructive dialogue about the strategy. It would be helpful to know why you have taken the stance you have and why you have not consulted with Caerphilly Council.”
In a statement, the Islwyn Constituency Labour Party backed its MP.
It said: “Islwyn Labour Party fully supports Chris Evans MP in his opposition to the threatened closure of Cefn Fforest and Pontllanfraith leisure centres. Islwyn Labour’s chair Cllr Tom Williams MBE and Vice Chair, Cllr Gez Kirby, joined Chris and his predecessors, Lord Touhig and Lord Kinnock, on the recent widely-supported anti-leisure centre closure campaign march in Blackwood. We call upon Caerphilly Council at its meeting tomorrow to heed the recommendations of both the council’s regeneration scrutiny committee and a cross-party ‘notice of motion,’ to refer the final decision on leisure centre closures to a full council meeting.”
The strategy is due to be be discussed by cabinet on Wednesday, November 14, and follows a heated debate on the issue last week.
