Residents demand rethink on scrapped sports centre

Leon Burns, nine, leads the protests outside the centre last night

Children and adults held posters and placards in a demonstration last night outside the Queensferry Recreation Centre urging Edinburgh Leisure to reopen the centre, which closed in March due to funding cuts.

Residents claimed there had been a spike in vandalism and violence among youths since the centre's closure.

Locals said the centre had been widely used by a range of ages for everything from taekwondo to football.

The demonstration was organised by the Queensferry Recreation Survivors' Association, which was set up in response to the centre's closure. Members of Queensferry Rugby Football Club, which was based at the centre, also joined in.

Elizabeth Sneddon, a member of the association who attended last night's demonstration, said: "The demonstration was really just to highlight how we need the centre for the youngsters because since it has been closed, we have had a lot more violence and vandalism in the area. The kids don't have anywhere to go.

"There's also nowhere for the local organisations to hold their meetings."

The 37-year-old stay-at-home mum said the centre was really the only place for the children in the area to go after school.

She said: "There was always something going on and plenty to do."

Following a decision in November 2009, Edinburgh Leisure withdrew its management of the centre from the end of March this year.

Edinburgh Leisure director of strategic services, June Peebles, said: "Edinburgh Leisure remains fully committed to providing community access to sport and leisure facilities in the Queensferry area and continues to support Edinburgh City Council's attempts to seek an alternative provider.

"To this end, we have continued to enable access to the sports pitches at Queensferry Recreation Centre through Queensferry High School, where we also currently manage community access to the swimming pool, games hall and gym outwith school hours."

Meanwhile, the council said it was hopeful that public access would be maintained to both the recreation centre and the Crags Sports Centre, which also had to close due to funding cuts.

Councillor Deidre Brock, the city's culture and leisure leader, said: "We are optimistic that, despite these very difficult financial times, a solution can be found for both which will allow these facilities to remain in public use. "