CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Cricklade Leisure Centre have been breathing a sigh of relief.

Keep Leisure in Cricklade (KLIC) has been handed £60,000 by North Wiltshire District Council to help keep the leisure centre open under new management.

The good news comes after weeks of campaigning and meetings to put together a watertight business plan which would impress council bosses.

Gary Walker, chairman of KLIC, said: "This is wonderful news and it is exactly what we and the people of Cricklade wanted to hear.

"I have been around to see the staff at the leisure centre today and they are thrilled at the news, it means seven full-time staff and numerous others get to keep their livelihood, and lots of other organisations can remain working in Cricklade.

"But we still have a mountain to climb. We have just three weeks to get everything sorted out, and there are lots of hurdles ahead, but we have done it.

"Now we just need the continued support of the people of Cricklade and the surrounding area to come along and keep using the centre, because it is only with their support that we can keep this place going.

"The future has opened up now and we can start looking at what we do towards the end of the year.

"Our intention is to rebuild the centre."

Yesterday's decision by North Wiltshire District Council's Executive means that KLIC now has £80,000 of public money to use on the project.

Of that, £20,000 was raised through an increase in the precept by Cricklade Town Council to save the centre.

Originally KLIC asked for £70,000 from the district council but that was turned down.

Instead the group was offered £60,000 with a series of caveats, which included that if the plan failed someone would have to pay back the entire sum.

KLIC turned down that offer, and has now been offered the money subject to a series of new contractual negotiations.

A reduction in £10,000 does not worry them, after some rent negotiations they have been able to get the coming year's rent for free.

Mr Walker said: "I think the council had been worried about giving the money away even though it is a small amount to them, because of the mistakes made in the past."