Deepings Leisure Centre Community Interest Company is still awaiting response from Government on funding

A community group working to save a leisure centre is still awaiting a response to a bid for funding which would allow them to reopen the facility.

Virginia Moran, an independent South Kesteven District Councillor and director of the Deepings Leisure Centre Community Interest Company (CIC), explained the group is ‘waiting for something to happen’ with a Community Ownership Funding application to the Government.

The leisure centre was forced to close in July 2021 due to a faulty roof that presented health and safety hazards.

Since thenthe community group, which is made up of residents, has been working diligently to renovate and reopen the centre.

In January, South Kesteven District Council voted to contribute £850,000 from its reserves to refurbish the Deepings Leisure Centre.

Lincolnshire County Council subsequently matched this amount in May, bringing the total raised to £1.7 million.

A total of £2.4 million is needed to complete the project, according to Coun Moran, which the group was hoping to secure from the Community Ownership Fund.

The project was put on hold due to the General Election in July, but more than a month later, the group is still awaiting updates.

“There’s nothing we can do,” said Coun Moran.

“We‘re just sitting here waiting for something to happen.

“We’re just constantly adding to our business plan to cover absolutely everything we can think of just in case.”

In her message to the new Labour government, Coun Moran remarked: “It can’t all be take, take, take.

“This new government has got to start giving as well to the people and facilities in this country.”

The group has a meeting with Lincolnshire County Council at the end of August to discuss performing some ‘patch-up’ repairs to the roof.

Coun Moran added: “It’s now nearly the end of August and it looks like there’s going to be another winter with that roof pouring water in. There’s going to come a point when it starts damaging the interior.

“We need to get permission to get someone up there with a hosepipe to check out whether drainage is running free and then do the repairs. If it costs £4,000 or £5,000, so what? In the grand scheme of things, that’s nothing.”

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