CAMPAIGNERS who fought a losing battle to save a popular Bournemouth watersports and activity centre have slammed the council’s “short-sighted” decision.

Bournemouth council chiefs insisted they had little choice but to close the Hengistbury Head Outdoor Centre after efforts to find a private operator failed.

They say the centre has been losing money and requires a subsidy of £100,000 a year, making it economically unviable.

But the decision is a bitter blow for all those involved with the Southbourne centre, who say they feel let down by the council.

A spokesperson for the Hengistbury Head Centre Association said: “You look at the mismanagement and over-spend on the surf reef project, which will benefit a limited number of people, yet they are happy to close something that is open to all schoolchildren and residents of Bournemouth.

“Around 12,000 people use the centre every year and we have done some brilliant work with youngsters who have been excluded from school and have conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

“This is not just a job for us.

“We do it because we are putting something back into the community. But the council does not appear to believe in community.”

And an instructor at the centre said: “I’m absolutely devastated.

“This was a functioning, well-run centre benefiting thousands of people. I’m sure there were other alternatives.”

Cllr Malcolm Davies, cabinet member for education, said they sent out 22 information packs to potential private operators but received no formal tenders.

“As a result of this and the prevailing economic climate, we have made the difficult decision to close the Hengistbury Head Outdoor Centre,” he said.

He said future options were being considered but it was likely the area would be returned to its natural habitat.