Bosses at the landmark Gosling Sports Park have been urged to ‘honour their pledge’ about the future of its sports hall.
The warning comes from Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps.
He fears executives at Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL), which owns and runs the complex, are backtracking on a pledge to work with the community to keep the hall open.
His comments follow a meeting of the Save Gosling Community Committee (SGCC) when Mr Shapps was told GLL bosses were “dragging their feet in discussions to find a way forward”.
Back in January GLL managing director, Mark Sesnan, pledged they would try to keep the hall open and usable for as many sports as possible.
Mr Shapps said: “With the fantastic work from the Save Gosling group, Gosling Sports Hall was thankfully granted an extension until July 1.
“Now the committee is putting forward more sustainable long-term plans, GLL bosses are moving the goal posts and risking the pledge that they made to me and their customers.”
He claimed that since committing to work together, GLL management had been at odds with the SGCC about trying to accommodate all of the sports that the hall was used for prior to the Christmas closure notice.
SGCC chairman Nick Catt said: “Under pressure from MP Grant Shapps, ourselves and users, GLL granted a three-month delay to its plans to close the facility. This delay was to enable us to put forward a plan to rescue the facility.
“On April 17 we presented business plans to GLL that, if accepted by GLL, will save the sports hall building for the majority users.
“However, time is running out and GLL must make a decision quickly so we have enough time to implement our business plans before the planned closure date.”
