12 August 2020

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Mid Sussex District Council has called two extraordinary meetings to discuss the proposed reopening of local leisure centres.

Cabinet and Full Council meetings have been scheduled for Wednesday 19 August and Members will be asked to consider a proposal to reopen Kings, The Dolphin and The Triangle leisure centres. Should the proposal be approved, leisure centres in Mid Sussex will reopen early in September.

Councillor Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council said:

“The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on all of our lives, but the leisure industry in particular has been hit hard. Leisure centres across the country have been forced to close and even now they can reopen, social distancing will artificially reduce the number of residents able to use them.

“The cost of running leisure centres at the moment is extremely high and that’s why we’ve spent time working closely with our partners at Places Leisure to reach a sustainable agreement on how to run our centres in these uncertain times, given they now require significant taxpayer subsidy.

“This has been a difficult time for everyone and I know many people have missed being able to visit their local leisure centre. A proposal has been put forward for our consideration and I hope my fellow Councillors join me on 19 August in supporting the reopening of our leisure centres.”