Councillors are calling on people all over Cornwall to sign a petition to prevent the closure of leisure centres.

Cornwall Council is currently considering whether to close leisure centres in Falmouth, Launceston, Saltash and Wadebridge as well as the hydrotherapy pool in St Austell.

As it stands the decision will be made by the 10 Conservative councillors on the Cabinet, but Independent councillors are calling for the decision to instead be made by all 87 elected members through a vote by full council. They have launched a petition to secure a vote and if it gets 5,000 signatures then it would have to be debated at a meeting of the full council. The leisure facilities are under threat of closure after operator GLL told Cornwall Council that it could no longer run them without financial support.

Cornwall Council’s Cabinet has said that leisure services are not a statutory requirement and that they have no budget available for them.

Instead the council has said that it would be willing to work with community groups or other parties who might be able to take over the facilities and keep them open.

In a statement independent councillors at County Hall said: ‘Previous council leaders have opted to allow all councillors to debate and decide on major issues such as this, for example the decision to fund a Stadium. The Independents believe that the Conservatives running Cornwall Council have already taken a political decision to refuse funding of the leisure centres, in Falmouth, Wadebridge, Launceston, Saltash and hydrotherapy pool in St Austell. All are therefore at risk of closing permanently as a result.’ The independent group say they believe that the cost to keep the centres open is ‘small and easily affordable’ and could be the equivalent of £1 for every person in Cornwall. The petition, which currently has 1,300 signatures, can be found here – https://chng.it/vyjwvpPK