'Important' sports centre in Portsmouth will remain open to public

The Charter Community Sports Centre in Greetham Street, in Landport, which is part of the Charter Academy, will continue to offer facilities to residents outside school hours.

It was built in 1999 following £2m of funding from the Sport England Lottery Fund Award, but it was agreed it could be used by the public until March 2020.

This agreement has been extended for at least another four years, although gym and pool hours will be reduced.

In a report heard at a Portsmouth City Council culture and leisure meeting on Friday (March 20), the authority's culture director Stephen Baily, said: 'As part of the Lottery funding agreement, a community use agreement was entered into between Sport England, the school and city council guaranteeing community use until 16th March 2020.

'During this time, the centre has become a well utilised site by the local community with a varied programme.

'The school is located in the heart of Portsmouth in an area of high social deprivation with substandard sports facilities that were not accessible to the local community.'

The facilities for the public will continue to be delivered by BH Live, which also runs sports classes and services at the Mountbatten Centre in Stamshaw and the Pyramids in Southsea.

Culture boss at the council, Councillor Steve Pitt, said: 'Health and wellbeing and the ability to access fitness facilities is so important for a city like Portsmouth.

'We are delighted this facility will remain accessible to the public and providing that important service.'

The Charter Academy was previously St Luke's School.