The Sports Centre at the Ormiston Sudbury Academy still faces an uncertain future despite interim plans for it to reopen for six months.

At the end of August 2021, the Sports Centre at the high school was shut to members of the public – however a new agreement has been reached that will mean the centre will be able to open to the community again. 

A spokeswoman for Abbeycroft Leisure, who has been in talks with Babergh District Council and Ormiston Sudbury Academy, said: “We are working with the academy to confirm the finer details in due course.” 

A re-opening date for the sports centre has not yet been agreed and it is still unclear what will happen when the interim six month period ends. 

At a full meeting of Sudbury Town Council on Tuesday, October, 12, it was announced that Babergh District Council will be picking up a shortfall in funding needed for the sports centre to reopen. 

Councillors at the meeting expressed their support for the reopening plans and spoke about the importance of local sports clubs including gymnastics and archery. 

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Concerns were raised that the community will not have the same access they had to the Sports Centre previously as it has been suggested that it will only be open at weekends and on Monday and Thursday evenings, depending on usage. 

Ahead of the meeting, Cllr John Ward, Leader of Babergh District Council, said: “Ensuring our residents can live happy, healthy and active lives is vital part of our Covid recovery, and a keystone of both our wellbeing and leisure, sport and physical activity strategies.

“We are, therefore, delighted to be able to support our partners to enable the re-opening of these facilities, to help meet the needs of local residents and ensure everyone can stay as fit and healthy as possible.”

Caroline Wilson, principal of Ormiston Sudbury Academy, said: “We understand, and have always understood, the important role the Sports Centre and associated facilities have played for the local community.

“Our long-term ambition remains improving the facilities so that they are as good as they can be for students of the academy and residents. However, in the interim we have proposed a model that will mean the facilities can be used until this longer term work can be implemented.”