Valley ski-slope could be closed in Rossendale leisure sites review

Rossendale’s dry ski slope could be closed in a review of council-owned leisure centres.

And there could be changes coming for a Rawtenstall museum and a Whitworth venue too.

The Hill Ski Centre, which first opened in 1973 as a centre for skiing, snowboarding and other activities, is the focus of a new Rossendale Council leisure review. The Rawtenstall slope provides many community benefits but is costly and ‘constrained’ in offering new attractions, the council report says.

Rossendale Council is reviewing all its leisure sites managed on its behalf by Rossendale Leisure Trust.  Running costs, loans and customer income are key factors between the council and trust, which use a mix of cash from the council, Sport England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The report suggests the leisure trust should focus on gym, sport and physical activity sites, including Marl Pits Swimming Pool. And other future options should be explored for the ski slope, the Whitaker Museum in Rawtenstall and Ashworth Centre in Whitworth.

The trust manages a ‘diverse and ageing’ network of sites, the report says. And the ski slope’s future is ‘the most complex’ of three recommendations councillors are to consider on Wednesday, May 6.

CONSTRAINTS

The report says: “The Hill carries £39,000 of the inter-company loan and its current lay-out limits its capacity to diversify. The nursery slope is already being used for skiing and rubber ring tubing, leaving very little room to develop additional activity without investment in new infrastructure.

“Whilst The Hill delivers genuine community benefit, its ability is constrained, external investment opportunities are limited and the financial case for the scale of spending needed does not stand-up against the income it can realistically generate.

“Decisions about its future are genuinely difficult. And any decision to cease operation must address a Sport England grant of £470,000. This carries ‘claw-back’ provisions that will need specific legal and financial advice before any closure is confirmed.”

A clear decision is needed about The Hill, which is ‘a unique leisure asset’. To support future decisions, the council would need to commission further detailed studies of options, the report adds.

‘REAL CHALLENGES’

Overall, the report says the breadth of sites, from physical activity to culture and specialist facilities, creates ‘real challenges’ in generating enough income to cover costs, invest in facilities and manage the ‘inter-company loan’.

The range of sites reflects the trust’s development over years but limits its ability to focus on the areas of greatest financial return. But there is a clear opportunity to re-orient Rossendale Leisure Trust toward its core purpose of physical activity, sport and leisure.

MUSEUM

Regarding The Whitaker Museum and Gallery, it says: “It is a specialist and well-regarded site whose potential, particularly for events income, remains underexploited. Rossendale Council has provided an annual grant, which has reduced in recent years alongside a reduction in council maintenance responsibilities.

“Both the Whitaker Trust chairperson and senior managers have identified a longer-term aspiration for it to become independent. And this review supports that ambition in principle.

“However independence is not currently viable without some conditions being met. Three full-time workers’ posts covering fund-raising, events and development are funded with a Heritage Lottery Fund award ending in 2027/28. These posts are essential to the Whitaker’s attracting external funding and generating events income. Without them, an independent trust would struggle financially.”

It says a £365,000 debt owed by the Whitaker to Rossendale Leisure Trust also remains ‘ unresolved ‘. It forms part of the wider inter-company loan and cannot simply be written-off without consequence. Because the Whitaker building is owned by the council, the costs of any significant work remain with the council, regardless of how the museum is governed.

So the report recommends the Whitaker should stay in the leisure trust’s governance for now, while actively working toward making it independently viable in future.

WHITWORTH

The Ashcroft in Whitworth has evolved considerably since joining the leisure trust and is now mainly a local events and community venue, the report says.

Whitworth Town Council is interested in an asset transfer from Rossendale Council. The town council already has a relationship with The Ashcroft and there are potential links with Whitworth Leisure Centre, which the town now manages. However, a transfer would place additional responsibilities including costs on the town council, which it will need to show it can handle.