Today, Monday 25 March, Rutland County Council will be meeting to discuss the future of Catmose Sports Centre.

Last March, the centre was at risk of closing down but, following a mass outcry from local people, the Council worked with the current operators to keep the centre open for another 12 months . Now that this extension period is up however, a decision must be made about the future of the facility.

Residents are expected to once again stand up in opposition to the closure at today's meeting, which will be streamed online and open to the public. However, the council have reserved the right to close the meeting to the public and end the live stream if sensitive and financial issues need to be discussed.

Catmose Sports Centre has been open to the public since 2011. The original 10-year contract to operate the Centre was awarded to SLL and commenced in April 2011, running until March 2021. This contract and the entire public leisure offer at Catmose Sports Centre were developed to be run at a net-nil cost to Rutland County Council. However, the Council has needed to provide substantial financial support to Catmose Sports Centre over the past four years, totalling £801,807 - despite the closure of the pool facilities at the centre in March 2020.

Following approval of a contract extension for SLL, a procurement exercise for a new leisure contract was launched in July 2022 but could not secure an operator to run Catmose Sports Centre at nil cost to Rutland County Council.

As such, the future of the leisure centre is at risk, although users have once again appealed to the council to maintain the centre, citing good mental and physical health's a key benefit to the local authority.

Rutland resident and former user of the leisure centre, Karen, said: "We need affordable leisure facilities. I worry that the health of the population is taken for granted - and with already overstretched medical facilities, we surely can't afford to discourage and limit access to such facilities."

Another resident, Debbie, said: "As an older resident of Oakham, age 76, I feel the town of Oakham is mainly focussed on my age group. Whilst needs are great in this area, I feel very strongly that facilities for young people of all ages should not be neglected. 

"The town is dead before 9am and after 4pm. Do we want to live in town populated by only the old and infirm or do we want to build a strong and vibrant community for the future? My vote goes to the latter, so let's keep Catmose Sports Centre open and work towards building a new swimming pool. 

"Ambitious? Yes, but with proactive on-going action and support (such as organising fundraising) in tandem with the County Council, by the many users of the above facilities, maybe it is possible. 

"Those supporting the retention of Catmose Sports Centre appear to do little more than write the occasional letter or engage in passive protest when crisis point is reached once again. What have the users of Catmose Sports Centre being doing since the announcement of a one-year stay of execution for their facilities in 2023? In my view, burying their heads in the sand and hoping for the best. I hope someone can prove me wrong!"

A full council meeting will take place today, Monday 25 March from 7pm, to discuss the future of the leisure facility. See the meeting agenda here, in which Catmose Sports Centre is number 19.

Following an end to the bidding period for this second leisure procurement, the Council is faced with two main options in relation to Catmose Sports Centre: 

1. Award a new contract for the operation of Catmose Sports Centre based on the outcome of the new procurement process. 
2. Do not award a new contract for the operation of Catmose Sports Centre and seek to surrender its lease for the sports facilities with Catmose College.  

Rutland County Council explained: "Confirmation of the decision reached by Councillors at Monday's Full Council meeting can only be made after bidders have been notified about the outcome of the procurement. The Council hopes to confirm details of its final decision within a week of the meeting taking place."

The meeting will take place at Rutland Council Chambers, or can be viewed online.