Councillors behind bid to save Kettering Leisure Village vow: 'We will not sit back and see our town destroyed'

Councillors making a last-ditch effort to save the Kettering Leisure Village (KLV) complex have urged residents from across north Northants to make a stand against the imminent closure.

Cllr Jim Hakewill (Ind) and Cllr Keli Watts (Lab) have put forward a motion to give their support to step in and keep KLV – asking for all 78 councillors’ backing at a full council meeting this Thursday.

It is the first time the future of the under-threat facilities will have been discussed by North Northants councillors and Cllr Hakewill and Cllr Watts have urged residents to show up and make their feelings known.

Cllr Watts said: “This is our chance to show NNC that we will not sit back and see our town destroyed. The people of Kettering will not forget this if NNC let KLV go under.”

The site – incorporating Kettering Conference Centre, Lighthouse Theatre, Balance Health Club and Arena Sports Centre – is due to close on July 3 unless someone steps in.

Campaigners say it is not too late to save it and have been calling on North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) or a new management company to keep it open.

The motion to be discussed at the meeting, proposed by Cllr Hakewill and seconded by Cllr Watts, says: “This council values all the opportunities provided, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of residents’ health and well-being across North Northamptonshire.

“In particular this council welcomes the economic benefits for Kettering and the wider regional area of having a premier national conference centre, combined with public sporting and theatrical venues (commonly known as the Kettering Leisure Village, the KLV).

“The KLV's continued public and private availability on a long-term, sustainable, basis is critical to the well-being of all residents along with the wider economic prosperity of North Northamptonshire.

“We call upon this council to take similar action to its predecessor authority (Kettering Borough Council) and to step in to keep the KLV open, whilst a sustainable, long-term, future is secured with the help of local people and organisations, for their benefit and the wider economy of North Northamptonshire. A viable business case needs to be urgently created and a budget agreed, prior to the advised closure date of July 3, 2023.”

NNC leases KLV from BQ Farms, paying a £1 annual peppercorn rent. The council has a contractual arrangement with Phoenix Leisure, which further sublet KLV to Compass Group Services, which made the closure decision. They said costs had increased significantly and that it was no longer financially viable.

Cllr Hakewill said: “This is not just a Kettering issue. If NNC is prepared to save money on KLV is it going to be Corby Swimming Pool next, or the Pemberton Centre in Rushden?

"Anyone who cares about the future of the Kettering Leisure Village needs to show up on Thursday to show what a devastating loss it would be.

"We have both been involved within the community of Kettering for many, many years and have never known an issue that has caused so much anger amongst the residents and businesses.

"We can’t understand why the leadership hasn’t grasped this issue and the importance of KLV and the crisis that is happening.”

Cllr Watts added: “It’s the last ditch – it’s less than two weeks before the centre closes its doors and leaves Kettering without a theatre and indoor sports facilities.”

The meeting at The Corby Cube starts at 6pm on Thursday, June 22.