RESIDENTS, athletes and fitness enthusiasts have rallied round to show their support for Basingstoke Sports Centre.

A petition is set to be handed in at a full Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council meeting tonight with 10,000 signatures on it, expressing concerns over the impact a new business-class hotel with leisure facilities will have on the centre.

Planning permission has been applied for and the Basingstoke Sports Trust have said that if consent is granted, it would have a direct impact on the centre which could see a loss of nearly 200 jobs.

It is believed if the Village Hotels application is successful, the Sports Centre may be forced to close.

As a result The Gazette launched its Save Our Sports Centre campaign to highlight how important the venue is to the people of Basingstoke.

Part of the campaign was a petition set up for people to show their support. Now the petition has reached more than 10,000 signatures and will be presented to members of the council tonight.

However, despite the concerns for the centre’s future, the borough council said it is committed to supporting the town centre facility.

Cabinet member for communities and community safety, Cllr Simon Bound, said: “We have always valued the work of Basingstoke Sports Centre and continue to do so, supporting it since 2000 with £3.5m of capital funding and £1.6 million in annual grants to provide many of the courses and sessions people value.

“At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 6 February it was agreed that the current budget allocation will continue for a further three years.“We have already committed to working with the Sports Centre to ensure its valuable contribution to the life of the borough is maintained. As a borough we cannot stand still and change is inevitable.

“It is important we strive to bring new opportunities to the borough that will result in more jobs and a wider offer to residents and businesses.

“The council has worked hard to ensure a good deal for the borough, rather than an annual rent Village Hotels will pay an upfront multimillion pound figure and will also invest £19 million, create 134 construction jobs per year of the 16 month build. When open, the hotel will create 120 direct jobs and a further 25 jobs created by the restaurant and café use.

“Bringing this investment into the area is meeting a need that employers on Basing View have been asking for.

“Basingstoke has been awarded Town of the Year because it is moving forward and providing more muchneeded homes, more opportunities for businesses to come to the borough and expand and more leisure facilities for people to enjoy.

“I encourage the Sports Centre to work with us and I encourage those people who have signed the petition to continue to support the Sports Centre.”

The Sports Centre could not be contacted for comment.