Eastbourne sports centre closes to the public

Cavendish Sports Centre will be closing to the general public and gym members from September 1 after falling usage has left the centre ‘financially unsustainable’.

The facilities, managed by Wave Leisure, will continue to be used by Cavendish School, but will no longer open in the evenings and weekends for the general public, a spokesperson for the centre said.

The centre has a gym and dance studio to provide Old Town with fitness facilities. Members can also play a wide range of sport from five-a-side football to badminton and basketball.

All existing members and playscheme users will be contacted and offered the opportunity to move to other Wave Leisure locations such as Hampden Park, Shinewater or Eastbourne Sports Park.

The decision has been taken by Eastbourne Borough Council and Wave Leisure, following declining footfall across several years at the site.

Councillor Margaret Bannister, Eastbourne Borough Council lead member for tourism and culture, said, “This has been a difficult decision, however after general declining usage at this particular location and the expansion of the school across the site, it is no longer financially sustainable to keep opening the centre only in the evenings and weekends for the general public.

“With new state of the art facilities at Eastbourne Sports Park and extensive opening hours at the Hampden Park and Shinewater sites, it makes sense to focus on maintaining a high level of service at these three venues where facilities are improved and much more available throughout the day.”

For more information on sports facilities in Eastbourne visit SportEastbourne.com

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