Cheshire East are piloting a plan to set up four brand new lifestyle centres as they look to transform the way they provide health and wellbeing services. The towns of Congleton, Crewe and Macclesfield will also get their own centre.
Each centre which will host activities, from basketball to PC tuition, water aerobics to poetry reading and badminton to tea dances. Activities will be provided for both young and old under one roof to encourage social care users to lead healthy, happy lives and to provide a range of facilities to all residents.
Councillor Andrew Knowles, Cabinet member with responsibility for health and wellbeing, said: "This is a bold, ambitious and forward-thinking plan which will bring leisure centres, libraries and some social care services under one roof. We will also provide a more targeted approach to delivering services for young and old alike.
"For day care users without intensive care needs, the centres will encourage integration and independence and also stimulate fitness, reducing demand for more intensive social care in the long-term.
"With public health responsibilities coming back to local authorities, these hubs will help to prevent long-term illnesses such as heart disease.
New-build lifestyle centres are intended for Crewe and Wilmslow initially, with Congleton and Macclesfield to follow, though the Council haven't selected a location for the new Wilmslow centre yet.
Councillor Andrew Knowles added: "We hope to progress these as soon as possible. An options appraisal will be undertaken in the new financial year that will consider potential sites. We will then be able to create a timetable for the projects."
Cabinet members have unanimously supported the proposals and the Council is now working to make this vision a reality.
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If the Council sell off the leisure Centre site to a supermarket we will lose the trees and the cricket pitch. The centre of Wilmslow will become a less pleasant place to be.