If the proposal is approved, Dorset Council will withdraw its management from Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre (QELC), Wimborne in 2024. The council provides management for the centre, which is owned by Queen Elizabeth’s School (QES), at a cost of over half a million pounds per year, raising questions as to whether it provides value for money.

The council has pledged to work with the QES to find a sustainable way of keeping their facilities available to those who need them.

A consultation in the latter part of 2021 of future management arrangements at QELC received 1,799 responses showing overwhelming support to keep the current arrangements.

As part of its withdrawal, the council will help the school find alternative funding opportunities, making the current facilities more widely available and providing support and guidance for any users who may need to make alternative arrangements for their activities if necessary.

It also proposes that one-off funding (up to £150,000) is made available as a contribution towards the replacement of the all-weather pitch at the site.

The consultation found:

• 83 per cent of respondents currently travel to QELC by car
• 1 per cent indicated that they use or have used alternative sports facilties
• 4 per cent of disabled visitors use the swimming pool
• Respondents respondents commented that the potential closure is inconsistent with the Council’s commitment to health and wellbeing

The council have noted that there are eight other public leisure centres within a 20-minute drive and that St Michael’s Midde School in Colehill, also part of the Wimborne Academy Trust, operates a pool with no additional funding.

The council stated that, as it operates three other leisure facilities in the East Dorset area, as well as two country parks, there is clear evidence that it supports the community to be physically active.

The report detailing the proposed next steps for QELC will go to Dorset Council’s Place and Resources Overview Committee on Thursday 10 February for discussion. The recommendations will then be considered and decided upon at Cabinet on Tuesday 1 March. If agreed, Dorset Council will withdraw from the dual use management agreement at QELC on 31 March 2024.

Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Customer and Community Services, Cllr Laura Miller, said: “The consultation has shown the potential impact of Dorset Council withdrawing their management from Queen Elizabeth Leisure Centre. If the recommendations are agreed, we have an interim period to work with the school and try to find different ways to provide as many services as possible for community and school use.

“I respect the strength of feeling from the local community, but Dorset Council simply cannot justify spending so much public money managing a centre that we do not own, in an area that has so much comparable leisure provision close by.

“Making these recommendations has been difficult, but the school has a considerable amount of time to explore options for QELC’s future and I remain hopeful we can help them find a solution to their funding concerns.

“Ultimately, the future of QELC rests with the school but we will do all we can to support them in the meantime, including helping get the all-weather pitch updated and looking at ways of making the facilities more accessible to the general public.”