A local group opposing the closure of Oakham's Catmose Sports Centre have spoken out following the decision by Rutland County Council (RCC) to keep the leisure centre open until March 2025, following talks with Stevenage Leisure Ltd, the current operator of the facility.

On 26 January, Rutland Council announced on 26 January that "sadly, the Council has been unable to find an operator who can run Catmose Sports Centre at zero cost", meaning that the centre looked set to close to the public on 31 March 2023. 

Following backlash from the public and a sudden "interest from leisure operators", Rutland County Council's Cabinet have announced today, Tuesday 14 February, that Catmose Sports Centre will now remain open until March 2025.

Read more here.

Conservative Councillor and Leader of Rutland County Council, Lucy Stephenson said: "It's the view of Cabinet that interest shown by commercial leisure operators since our original decision on 12 January represents a material change in circumstances. 

"Having reconsidered the options in relation to Catmose Sports Centre, we now feel there is value in extending the Council's existing leisure contract while we launch a second procurement exercise that takes account of this latest development."

Following this announcement, the action group that stood against the initial RCC decision to close the centre have shared a post on their Facebook page.

The group said: "On 12th January RCC took the decision to end the SLL contract at Catmose Sports Centre. This was announced to the public on Thursday 26th January. Within 24 hours, we had come together to start a campaign to save Catmose Sports Centre.

"You have signed petitions, joined peaceful gatherings, attended council meetings, written to our MP and councillors, and let your voice be heard. Today the council reversed their decision. They are now looking to offer an extension of up to 24 months on the contract with SLL in order to give the council time to consider how the sports centre should be run in the future and to go through a new procurement process with amended criteria.

"This decision reversal is amazing news – we were told it was categorically impossible to achieve this only 8 days ago!! There was no mention in the meeting about future collaboration with the public, and the decision reversal was described as hinging on new interest from operators rather than the obvious public outcry.

"This is not the end though, there is still work to do. We do not know the situation with SLL. We will be watching closely what happens next – we have not handed this over to the council entirely and will continue to monitor and respond to the process and their decisions as this situation develops.

"One thing we really want to make clear, is that it is the staff at Catmose that make the place what it is, a place that people have given their time, their efforts and their money to save. They have made an amazing, inclusive community, one that has given so many people, so much – watch the video, this is really a tribute to them. We know they have been put through incredible stress and anxiety over this and we want to do anything we can to support them to help maintain the success and strength of community at Catmose."

Find out more about the u-turn made by RCC here.