South Ribble Borough Council closes Bamber Bridge Leisure Centre after Travellers move onto Withy Grove Park

The leisure centre shut the doors “to ensure safety and resolve the situation”...

Bamber Bridge Leisure Centre closed its doors for two days this week after Travellers moved onto Withy Grove Park, next to the council-owned facilities.

Bamber Bridge Leisure Centre has closed its doors after Travellers moved onto Withy Grove Parkplaceholder image
Bamber Bridge Leisure Centre has closed its doors after Travellers moved onto Withy Grove Park | Bamber Bridge Leisure Centre

The doors were closed on Wednesday and Thursday after reports about anti-social behaviour at the leisure centre. It has reopened today after the Travellers left the park this morning.

Police were called to the Traveller encampment on Withy Grove Park in Bamber Bridgeplaceholder image
Police were called to the Traveller encampment on Withy Grove Park in Bamber Bridge | Vernice Jones

South Ribble Borough Council said it made the decision to shut the doors “as a standard precautionary measure to ensure safety and resolve the situation.” Swim lessons went ahead as normal, said the Council.

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The Travellers moved onto Withy Grove Park, off Brindle Road, on Tuesday morning, close to the grounds of the leisure centre.

Police were called to the encampment and South Ribble Borough Council sought enforcement proceedings to remove them from the site, ordering them to vacate by 10.30am today (Friday, July 17).

The Council has confirmed the Travellers have now left the site and the leisure centre is open as normal.

A spokesperson for SRBC said: “The leisure centre is open as usual, and the traveller encampment has moved on from the site.”

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