CAMPAIGNERS who hope to save a closure-threatened leisure centre are putting the finishing touches to a business plan to take over running the facility.

Groups wanting to take responsibility for any of six Durham County Council leisure centres faxing the axe under plans to save £1.3m a year have until Friday, June 10, to submit initial business plans.

Members of a steering group hoping to run Abbey leisure centre, in Pity Me, Durham, plan to hand over their 30-page strategy to County Hall on Thursday.

Peter Hall, from the group, said members wanted to ensure Abbey’s long-term viability, maintain and enhance its sporting and leisure activities and wellbeing within the community, involve members, users and the community in its running and use, deliver better lifestyles and create a centre for excellence for disabled sport.

"We are very confident that we will have an acceptable proposal and we will make it to the next round.

"We hope that we will be running Abbey come November," Mr Hall, a former headteacher, said.

After forming in late March, the group, which includes business leaders, residents, councillors and others, conducted a survey of leisure centre users and members, gathering 304 responses.

More than half wanted the facility to be run by the community, Mr Hall said.

The other facilities at risk are in: Sherburn, Ushaw Moor, Coxhoe, Ferryhill and Crook.

Public consultation ended last month.

Council bosses say these offer the poorest value for money of their 18 facilities. Abbey is relatively successful but at risk because it is close to Durham’s Freeman’s Quay complex.

Bosses at Spectrum Leisure and Management (Slam), which runs Spectrum leisure centre, in Willington, hope to take over Sherburn, Coxhoe, Pity Me and Ferryhill.

It is thought all proposals considered viable will go before the council’s cabinet in August, before full business plans are finalised and final decisions taken in October.

Last week, it emerged a questionnaire on the proposed closures received only 37 responses.

Council chiefs insisted they consulted widely using a range of approaches.

Labour-run Durham County Council faces £125m of cuts over four years, including £67m this year.