Lincolnshire County Council set to offer Deepings Leisure Centre to community group for £1

A closed leisure centre could finally be saved as a council is set to offer it to a group of campaigners for £1.

Lincolnshire County Council’s executive has been asked to approve funding of £850,000 to the Deepings Community Leisure Centre Community Interest Company (CIC), which would go towards the cost of refurbishment and reopening the closed facility in Deeping St James.

At a meeting on Wednesday (May 8), councillors will also be asked to give the go-ahead to transferring the leisure centre to the community group for £1, so long as campaigners can provide a viable business case and an agreement is reached with the neighbouring Deepings School.

The community group would become responsible for costs of demolition and site clearance if the project fails.

The Deepings Leisure Centre closed in August 2021 due to serious safety concerns caused by a leaky roof and has stood empty ever since.

After agreeing to refurbish it, South Kesteven District Council ditched plans to spend £10.7 million on repairs to the leisure centre in Deeping St James and handed the lease back to owner Lincolnshire County Council, which put it up for sale.

The Save the Deepings Leisure Centre group, which was set up in 2021 by residents wanting the site to be refurbished and reopened, was quick to submit an offer.

Chairperson of the group, Virginia Moran, who lives in the Deepings and is a district councillor who opposed the closure, said: “We are tired because it has been never ending so it will be nice to move to the next phase and put a different emphasis on what we are doing.”

According to Virginia, there have been ‘really positive’ meetings between everyone involved.

Lincolnshire County Council's funding will be a pivotal step forward for the local community enterprise, which aims to raise more than £2 million for the renovation project.

South Kesteven District Council, which closed the leisure centre, also gave the green light to an £850,000 grant.

“People will be delighted for it to be open again,” Virginia said.

Although Virginia feels ‘quietly confident’ the leisure centre will be reopened, there is no date in mind as it’s ‘not something you can put a time on’.