UNHAPPY Stratton residents grilled leisure centre managers over proposed changes to their community hub at a packed public consultation.

Dozens of people heard about Parkwood Leisure’s plans for improvements to Grange Leisure facilities which would be carried out if the parish council agree to partner with them as centre co-managers for 15 years. The Parkwood team faced questions and concerns from those who feared that the potential partners will focus too much on the centre’s leisure facilities while taking away its community-focused aspects.

One elderly resident’s comments were met with loud applause and many murmurs of agreement from the crowd. She said: “I’ve lived here for 50 years and this is a community centre but in your plans, it’s just a leisure centre, be honest, and the new bar is really just a cafe. This place is important for a lot of people my age -for some, going for a pint with friends here is the only socialising they get. Just because the people in charge don’t think a lot of people will use the community facilities it doesn’t mean that we should lose them. “

A representative replied: “We want to build this around the community and the bar is an important part of that.”

Anne Brooker, speaking outside her role as parish councillor, asked: “Could there be a partition between the bar area and soft play area to maintain a pub atmosphere? Will it be able to accommodate everybody? This was a community centre before it was a leisure centre, after all.”

A representative replied: “We’ll consider that, we don’t want to take away from the community feel.”

Councillors hope the partnership will improve facilities at Grange Leisure while they still retain control of pricing and the existing uses of the centre.

Kevin Tanner, 58, runs quiz nights at the centre’s bar. He said afterwards: “Leisure centres are 10 a penny and community centres are, or should be, much more than that. Stratton still has what should be a community centre, but for how long? The parish council should be doing their utmost to retain the legacy of what was built 40 years ago for and on behalf the people of Stratton.”

The council held two public consultations to give Stratton citizens the chance to find out more about the proposals and give feedback which will be considered before the final decision on whether or not to partner with Parkwood is made at a meeting on Tuesday evening.

A parish council spokeswoman said: "The consultation events were well attended, mainly with residents concerned about the closure of the bar. We wish to ensure that the centre is family friendly, whilst keeping a range of community activities and increased well-being classes."