BLANDFORD leisure centre has received a vote of confidence from the town council.

A meeting of all councillors at Blandford Town Council voted to back the centre to the tune of £50,000 a year for three years, from next year.

But the civic authority’s support depends on a similar commitment from other parties, including the district council and civic authorities in the DT11 post code, in a bid to meet the centre’s annual running costs of £250,000.

Monday’s town council meeting heard heated debate on the issue, as councillors grappled with increasing Blandford residents’ precept by nearly 10 per cent.

Cllr Mike Russell described the centre’s plea for funding as an exceptional case.

“It’s a one-shot, keep it, or lose it forever scenario, and it would be very short-sighted to burn our bridges now,” said Cllr Russell.

“Every child in Blandford has the right to learn to swim and to take part in sport.

“If we don’t go forward with this proposal, we may as well say goodbye to it now,” said deputy mayor, Cllr Lynn Lindsay.

But Cllr Andrew Pemberton told the meeting the current economic climate had left him “extremely uneasy” about increasing the tax burden on Blandford people.

“If we increase the precept by 9.3 per cent for a single item, anything else in the same year will make the precept very high indeed,” said Cllr Pemberton.

Cllr Mike Owen said he had consistently voted against the principle of parish funding of what is a district facility.

“The elected representatives of North Dorset District Council want to close down the centre.

“The people of Blandford are ambivalent at best. The surrounding parishes agree with the district council and want it to close,” said Cllr Owen.

A unanimous vote in favour of the “in principle” spending commitment was registered, with Cllr Owen voting against, and Cllr Pemberton abstaining.