CAMPAIGNERS who turned out in force to “Save Woolston Hub” have been actively encouraged to fill out the consultation over the future of the community health and leisure facility, which cash-strapped Warrington Borough Council states will cost £3m to bring back into use.
Cllr Denis Matthews – who is council’s cabinet member for finances, assets and investments, who turned up at the protest with other senior Labour Cllrs, to witness the public protest, saying it was important to listen to the people, actively encouraged people to fill in the public consultation which runs until early January.
But Ward Cllr Rob Tynan disputes it will cost £3m to reopen the facility, saying that is a figure to modernise the whole facility over the next 10 years. “It will cost a lot less than that to get it back open,” he said.
The hub — a multi-purpose centre on Hall Road that houses a swimming pool, gym, library, GP link and community meeting space — was partially closed in July and has been fully closed since September after legionella tests prompted safety measures. The council says bringing the building back into safe operational use would cost around £3 million, and that rising budget pressures make such investment unlikely without wider public input.
Faced with costs of an estimated £3m to bring the building up to spec following legionella being found in the water supply and other structural problems, including rotting flooring, Warrington Borough Council has launched a six week consultation on the future of the building.
In response, local campaigners, who turned out in large numbers on Saturday morning, launched a Change.org petition calling on the council to fund essential repairs and keep core services together, arguing that the social value of the hub outweighs the upfront cost. The petition, which went live last week and has been signed by nearly 1,000 people, describes the hub as “the only facility of its kind in East Warrington” and warns that closure would hit families, older residents and people with limited transport options hardest.
A Facebook campaign group set up by residents now has more than 2,000 members.
Local politicians have joined the chorus calling for transparency and urgent action.
Warrington North Mp Charlotte Nichols, who was unable to join the rally due to a prior engagement, says she is “working to prevent the closure” of the hub, while borough and parish councillors have argued that the centre provides vital services that cannot easily be relocated. The council, however, maintains that a full assessment of options is needed and that any decision must balance community need with financial reality.
Warrington Borough Council has opened a public consultation on the hub’s future to gather residents’ views on possible options for the site. LiveWire — which manages leisure services in the borough — has posted updates and FAQs on the situation and said it is working with specialist contractors to investigate the water system and other issues. Campaigners are urging residents to take part in the consultation and to sign the petition, arguing that strong public feedback could tip the balance toward funding repairs.
Campaign organisers say their immediate priorities are a clear timeline for reopening, publication of detailed repair costings, and assurances that core services (particularly the pool and library) will remain accessible to the Woolston, Padgate and surrounding communities. They warn that closure without a viable local alternative would increase social isolation and reduce access to health and learning services for vulnerable residents.
As the consultation proceeds, work is ongoing to judge whether repair costs are affordable compared with the social and economic cost of losing the hub. Protest plans and the surge in online organising, signal a community prepared to press its case — and a council facing a difficult calculus over how to allocate scarce resources across the borough.
To take part in the consultation, please visit warrington.gov.uk/woolston-hub-consultation and complete the survey. Following the consultation period, all feedback will be considered, before a final decision is made by the council’s Cabinet.
To sign the petition CLICK HERE
