Derbyshire residents launch bid to save leisure facilities from closure

It follows an announcement that leisure facilities at the South Normanton Holiday Inn will close to members in just a matter of weeks.

The hotel, near Junction 28 of the M1, announced they would be closing the facilities “with immense regret” in an email to members earlier this month. But now a petition has been launched by Lyndsey Burch, from the village, to prevent the closure.

READ THIS: 11 hardest secondary schools to get into in 2023 ahead of GCSE results day

Lyndsey, who has used the facilities for around three years, said: “I found out on Facebook saying they are closing it down. It does need investment: we are all fully aware of that but the main thing is how they have gone about it. There’s a community there: you have a nurse who goes after a night shift and a builder that has been going every day for the past 30 years and they go because it is convenient to them.

“It’s a much bigger thing than just closing the pool or closing the gym: it’s a massive blow to everyone that uses it.”

“It’s not the same as other leisure centres and it’s all well and good saying there’s options nearby but they don’t provide the same experience. As a group we have been looking at alternatives and, really, we’d be looking at Eastwood Hall or Mansfield for a similar option.”

In an email to members, the hotel said: “As we are all aware the cost-of-living crisis has had an impact on us all, whether this be in our personal lives, or through the businesses we work for, or own, not only through the ever increasing rising energy costs but also in general supplies and maintenance.

“As a business we have continued to monitor the costs directly associated with the running of our leisure and swimming pool facilities, and following several months of reviews it is with immense regret that we have now reached the stage where it is unsustainable for us to continue to operate the club as we have done so in the past.”

As it stands the leisure club will close to members on Friday, September 15. Renovations to the hotel are planned from September 15 until the end of March next year.