Folkestone Sports Centre shut down at the end of July, as the charity that ran the facility could no longer afford it.
Mahima Abedin reports.
Mahima Abedin reports.
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00:00Folkestone Sports Centre, a leisure space that once offered facilities loved and used
00:05by many of its local residents, could soon be turned into a building site.
00:09The centre suddenly shut its doors in July after the charity which ran it could no longer
00:14afford to operate it, causing 144 people to lose their jobs.
00:19Now its administrators say building homes on the site can't be ruled out.
00:23All our focus is on finding a leisure centre operator to take this site on.
00:30As administrators we have an obligation to take the best offer for the creditors.
00:37If we arrive at this point where the highest offer, the best offer is from a developer,
00:43well then these covenants and legal opinion will come into play.
00:48It plays a huge role in the health and wellbeing of an awful lot of people in and around Folkestone.
00:54Despite no developers coming forward yet, the possibility of this happening would mean
00:58the tennis courts, gym and even space to celebrate birthdays will never be used again.
01:03Something residents are not happy about.
01:05We've got thousands of emails, lots of people with some serious, serious concerns.
01:10Folkestone Sports Centre closed recently, that's a very, very local issue but an extremely
01:15important issue for people here in Folkestone.
01:18We've been able to do a lot of work on that, working with the administrators.
01:22Whether it can be reopened is going to come down to the numbers.
01:24I don't know what levels of debt the trust was under and whoever takes it on is going
01:29to have to deal with whatever debts there were.
01:31So look, there's a lot of challenges there.
01:33I'm really hopeful that we can get it open again.
01:38While the local MP persists on getting the site reopened, more than 8,000 people have
01:42now signed a petition calling for Folkestone and Hythe District Council to save the centre.
01:48In a statement, a spokesperson for the council said,
01:50We have not made any decision to bid for or purchase the site and there is no budget or
01:55plans to operate a leisure centre in Folkestone.
01:57And that it hopes a business with experience of running sports and leisure centres will
02:01come forward to take on the site and provide the valued facilities for residents.
02:06But now residents are left wondering what the future of their leisure centre might be.
02:11Mahima Abedin for KMTV in Folkestone.