'No relief' as leisure centre hours reduced

A LAST-MINUTE reprieve for Cefn Fforest Leisure Centre has been branded a “Pyrrhic victory” for its users.

- NICHOLAS THOMAS

Caerphilly County Borough Council had included Cefn Fforest in cost-cutting proposals to shut three leisure centres.

But at a cabinet meeting on May 14, decision-makers noted the “robust” opposition to their plans, and instead opted to retain the centre - albeit with reduced hours.

Following that decision, Cefn Fforest and Pengam ward councillor Shane Williams said he was “pleased the axe hasn’t fallen” but questioned the rationale behind cutting the centre’s opening times.

Cabinet members approved new weekday hours of 4pm to 8pm, and opening the centre for four hours on Saturdays and on Sundays.

"Given the number of people who use Cefn Fforest, cutting it down to 28 hours is totally and manifestly unjust,” Cllr Williams told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. “To shut out the vast majority of its users makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

“When the solution takes away so many people who use it, it’s sort of a Pyrrhic victory rather than something to celebrate.”

Cefn Fforest Leisure Centre recorded more than 97,000 visits in 2023-24, the most recent year on record.