Protesters young and old gathered outside County Hall today to call on Cornwall Council to save their leisure centres which are under threat of closure.

The council is currently undertaking consultation on the future of leisure centres in Falmouth, Launceston, Saltash and Wadebridge as well as the hydrotherapy pool in St Austell.

It comes after operator GLL said that it was no longer able to run the centres and that they might have to close starting from next March.

At County Hall this morning dozens of people armed with placards gathered to chant loudly as councillors arrived for a meeting of the council's customers and support services overview and scrutiny committee.

With signs stating "Save our Pools", "save our swimming" and "keep our leisure centres open" there were also some dressed in their swimming costumes.

Emma Tudge from St Minver said: "We use Wadebridge Leisure Centre for swimming and we are very concerned about it possibly closing.

"The distance that we would have to travel extra would make it almost impossible to get to swimming. And it's not just about swimming, all the other sports facilities would be lost as well.

"Swimming is a requirement for Key Stage 2 children, they have to be able to swim 25metres and in a pool that is sufficiently deep."

Robert Sheard from Polzeath is part of Polzeath Surflifesaving Club and a beach lifeguard, he attended the protest in his surflifesaving uniform – he said it was essential that pool facilities are available.

"It is such a shame on so many levels, on a personal level and for all the children who could be affected.

"I use the leisure centre three to four times a week and we use it as a club and train lifeguards, keep lifeguards active and keep their qualifications updated. Fitter, active lifeguards keep people safe and alive.

"For children who are not even born yet, they will have this opportunity to swim taken away from them. We are surrounded on three sides by water, it is really important that children learn to swim and how to be safe."

Mr Sheard said that it was also unlikely that alternative facilities would have enough capacity to take on clubs and people who use those centres which are under threat.

"There is not enough pool time at the other facilities, we have tried to use them before and have been told they don't have the time and space.

"And going to other centres would increase everything – the cost and time to get there. It goes against everything.

"All the lifeguards in Cornwall have trained or learned to swim in leisure centres, that is the fundamental basics of what we need. Without them the service could be at risk."

Alex Roads from Rock was dressed in his swimming costume, complete with swimming goggles, which was fitting for the wet weather.

He said he has three children who all use the pool as well as attending the leisure centre in Wadebridge for other sports and activities.

Mr Roads said: "One of my children got pneumonia when he was eight and they said we should take him swimming to build up his fitness – if that had been Bodmin we would not have been able to do that as easily.

"I am also part of the surf lifesaving club – swimming in the sea is dangerous if you haven't learned to swim in a pool. It is a backwards step to close centres and pools – it doesn't make sense.

"In my view we should raise taxes to pay for these facilities if we need a bit more money, make it part of the provision of the council.

"It is not just about swimming, it is about all the facilities and the way they provide ways for people to stay fit and healthy."

Shireen Cunliffe said that it was important for people all over Cornwall to back the campaign to save leisure centres saying that it might be that other centres could close in future.

She said: "We don't believe that GLL should be cherry picking which centres which are profitable and then leaving those that are not.

"We think that Cornwall Council should be holding GLL to account."

She added: "We need everybody to come forward and fill in the consultation so that the council knows how people feel about these services."

The Wadebridge resident said that it was not just about people in Wadebridge who would be affected but all those who live in surrounding villages and towns.

"It is all those villages, all the primary schools and the community who use the leisure centre.

"We have been told that Bodmin is the alternative but that is not viable. The Dragon Centre is at capacity."

Ms Cunliffe said that there was also a need for Cornwall Council to be more transparent about the centres under threat and provide details of the finances of the services.

She said: "It has come about very quickly and time is against us – we need Cornwall Council to properly look into this and we need to have all the information so that if someone can step in and save the centre they know all the details."

The Cornwall Council consultation is due to finish on October 31 and a decision is set to be made by the council's Cabinet before the end of the year.

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