QUESTIONS have been raised about Conservative councillors’ commitment to efforts to keep three East Lancs leisure centres open.

Councillors in Pendle have clashed repeatedly this year over the future of leisure centres in Nelson, Colne and Barnoldswick.

Budget challenges and rising energy, maintenance and construction costs are among the issues faced by council-owned leisure centres. In Rossendale, Whitworth Leisure Centre faces a community transfer or potential closure, while Marl Pits pool needed a new water filter.

The Labour and Liberal Democrat administration in Pendle vowed to keep open Nelson’s Wavelengths, Colne’s Pendle Leisure Centre and Barnoldwick’s West Craven Sports Centre when they took power in May.

Borough scrutiny committee members are looking at options to boost financial viability and potentially change some leisure activities offered.

Labour's Cllr Asjad Mahmood confirmed to a full council meeting the hope was to keep three venues open. Mechanical and electrical surveys at Colne and West Craven will be carried out as soon as possible.

Retro-fitting building enhancements and renewal will also be explored by the scrutiny committee. It will also consider the mix of leisure features and future operating models. Town and parish councils and customers will be consulted.

But plans to create a leisure-focused task-and-finish group in September could not be held because not enough councillors attended. Pendle Council had requested the leisure review by December but workloads mean the deadline is challenging.

Tory Cllr Martyn Stone asked: “Can the leader tell us whether those three centres will be kept open even if it’s not financially viable or if commitment is dependent on financial viability?”

Lib-Dem Cllr David Whipp, the new deputy council leader, said: “The [former] Conservative administration set a brief for consultants to recommend having just two leisure centres. Does the new leader agree it’s very positive the present administration has set out our ambition to keep three leisure centres open in all three areas?

“The basis for asking for this review was to maximise income and reduce costs through energy efficiencies and other measures. Does the leader agree asking overview and scrutiny to lead on this would, hopefully, get the whole council involved in planning future opportunities?  We are looking forward to working with the Conservatives to get to the point where we have three affordable leisure centres.”

Cllr Mahmood said: “I think the Conservatives will remember there was a report they commissioned but then held back for this new administration to look at. They wanted to close one or two leisure centres. But this shared administration wants to keep three.

“We have asked the overview and scrutiny committee to look at options and financial viability. It has to be evidence-based. We hope to get that work to the executive and councillors.”

Tory leader Cllr Nadeem Ahmed said: “There have been numerous times when Labour councillors did not attend budget meetings. It’s a bit rich for Labour to criticise us.”