Save Kingsdown Sports Centre

Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council is currently planning to close Kingsdown Sports Centre. While the Council will run a consultation on this decision, all of the options consulted on will include closing the Sports Centre. This decision was made by Bristol's Labour Mayor Marvin Rees at a Council cabinet of Bristol City Council on 19th September. The report is available here.

This decision has been made without the local community or elected councillors for the area having any opportunity to make the case for the council to save Kingsdown Sports Centre. This is unacceptable.

As with all leisure facilities, the Sports Centre suffered a drop in membership during the Covid-19 pandemic, but membership numbers have been steadily increasing since lockdown restrictions eased. This temporary drop in usage should be not used as an excuse for the council to dispose of a much-loved and well-used community asset.

We also note that the council's proposed alternative - the University of Bristol gym - lacks many of the facilities offered by Kingsdown Sports Centre, is usually full, with more costly membership fees for fewer activities, and completely unsuitable for many of the members of Kingsdown Sports Centre.

The community around the Kingsdown Sports Centre and elected Councillors for Cotham are objecting to Mayor Marvin Rees' decision to close the Sports Centre, and will campaign against any attempt to dispose of this community asset, and any attempt to sell the site for development.

Guy Poultney & Mohamed Makawi

Green Party Councillors for Cotham

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To: Bristol City Council
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned, call on Mayor Marvin Rees and the Labour Party cabinet of Bristol City Council to reverse their decision to stop operating Kingsdown Sports Centre - a much-loved and well-used community asset.