CALLS are being made for swift improvements to Broomfields Leisure Centre in Appleton which has been labelled as being in a ‘poor state’.

Cllr Tony Higgins, the council’s cabinet member for leisure and community, said the ‘ultimate ambition’ is to deliver a new facility amid concerns over the state of the current site in January.

The Conservatives in the town are pressing the case for improvements.

A party spokesman said: “During the borough council election campaign, the Conservatives in south Warrington campaigned not only to have immediate improvement to the Broomfields Leisure Centre facilities, but also for equality of recreational provision for south Warrington residents.

“The Broomfields Leisure Centre facility has become totemic for the lack of investment by the borough council in the facilities for those living in the south of Warrington.

“We would welcome immediate improvement to the Broomfields Leisure Centre, alongside the provision of a state of the art leisure facility for the residents of the south of the borough.

“We share the concerns of residents across south Warrington who are appalled at the standard, cleanliness and general maintenance of the current facilities.

“During the election campaign many residents informed our candidates that they would no longer use the current Broomfields facilities because of the poor state of the facility.”

Leader Cllr Kath Buckley added: “Once you leave the inner wards of Warrington there is a dearth of facilities for families, young people and adults.

“Investment in the leisure facilities in south Warrington is long overdue.”

But Cllr Higgins says he notes the Tories ‘don’t choose to congratulate’ the Labour council on its substantial investment in the award-winning Great Sankey Hub or on the renovation of the glass conservatories and riding school at Walton Hall.

He said: “We have continued to invest in many south Warrington constituency facilities not forgetting the investments at the Victoria sports complex that will be the host to the Papua New Guinea national rugby team for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup.

“Nationally the leisure industry has and continues to suffer financially due to the Covid impact on its business. The recent financial support from the Government via the National Leisure Recovery Fund was a slap in the face and didn’t equate to two months of lost revenue a total insult, far from doing whatever it takes the Tories are again falling short on their promises and short-changing our residents.

“If we are to continue the programme of investments in our community leisure services it’s vital that it receives all the financial support needed, without this help it makes it very difficult.”

Cllr Higgins also said the staff at Broomfields work extremely hard and have a strict cleaning regime, adding the comments from the Conservatives are incorrect and damaging to the business of Broomfields.