Gedling leisure centres face revamp doubts
The future of two Nottingham leisure centres and a community centre are in doubt due to a revamp of a town centre.
Gedling Borough Council has already said it wants to replace Arnold Leisure Centre with a new facility as part of a £10m facelift for Arnold town.
But it has emerged this could mean Redhill and Calverton leisure centres and Ponds Hill Lane centre shutting to pay for the project.
The council said plans were at an early stage and no decisions had been made.
Last week the council announced it had secured £950,000 of government funding to help develop a £10m regeneration project for Arnold, a northern suburb of Nottingham.
This would include closing the current Arnold Leisure Centre and moving it to King George V Recreation Ground, though the location has not been confirmed.
Now the council has revealed it is considering paying for the scheme by closing the three other centres and not replacing the Bonington theatre - which is attached to Arnold Leisure Centre.
Council leader Roland Spencer said people should not believe it was a done deal.
"At this stage and time there is no programme to do anything because our aspiration is for a new centre and the north end of Arnold to be done up.
"How we get there is undecided and we won't be going into that process until February or March."
Gedling MP Vernon Coaker said the council was sending out a confusing message.
He said: "I am frustrated and indeed angry about the fact the press release the council put out didn't properly include all the information that was just a day or two later was being given to staff in a briefing.
"This is not the way to conduct business."