Residents rally to oppose the potential closure of Uckfield Leisure Centre

Those attending the demonstrations were rallying to oppose the potential closure of the Leisure Centre and its popular swimming pool.

Replying to posts on local social media, Mr Bennett said: "It seems a rash of stupidity has caused an impasse between Wealden District Council (WDC) and East Sussex County Council (ESCC) which has led the District authority to refuse a lease renewal.

"Both parties need to remember that they should share a common goal: actually serving the people who they represent as elected councillors and who employ them as officers. It is frankly an embarrassment to both authorities that it has reached this point!"

The peaceful demonstration was organised by Cllr Daniel Manvell and followed a recent consultation by ESCC on Future Options for Uckfield Leisure Centre and the possibility the facility might close.

Local residents, town councillors and local opinion formers were there to have their say, and Uckfield's Town Crier was called upon to declare the rally open.

Cllr Manvell told the rally the pool had played a major part in his growing up in the town. He said he could not understand how WDC could put forward the suggestion of closure at a time when the town was growing in size and with the potential of many more homes.

Local resident Steve Lovell told the gathering the pool had been invaluable for him as he used it as part of his rehabilitation after a serious health issue.

Following a comprehensive leisure provision review, in October 2020 Wealden agreed to hand back the dual use leisure centre in Uckfield to ESCC at the end of its lease, in large part to remove a layer of bureaucracy in the operation of the centre that is run to serve the school to which it is attached. Following the uncertainty caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, in order to assist with an orderly transition back to ESCC, the lease was extended at Uckfield for a further year.

East Sussex County Council is now running a public consultation on future options for Uckfield Leisure Centre.

People can give their views at the ESCC website.

The consultation closes on 27 May and the county council will make a decision later in the year.

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