Liberal Democrats councillors have called on Warwick District Council's cabinet find a way to ensure Kenilworth residents can stay fit and healthy after the demolition of the town's two main sports facilities.

Local Lib Dem councillors want the council to work with operators Everyone Active to find a long term solution for residents whilst the council redevelops Castle Farm Leisure Centre and Abbey Fields Swimming Pools.

The work on both sites is due to start in the next six months and will last for at least a year and a half.

This work will also put the tennis courts and basketball court in Abbey Fields out of use.

As a result, with the exception of the weekday facilities at Meadow Sports in Leyes Lane, there will be no public indoor exercise facilities available in Kenilworth.

The alternative facilities operated by Everyone Active at Newbold Comyn and St Nicholas Park are each five miles away from Kenilworth and not easily accessible by public transport.

Lib Dem councillors have pointed out that encouraging people to drive elsewhere from Kenilworth is not in line with WDC's declared climate emergency.

"Unless people cycle, there will be a negative impact on the district's carbon emissions as people travel there from Kenilworth," a Lib Dem spokesperson said.

Alternative private facilities, with gyms and swimming pools on one site, are in Leek Wootton, at Warwick University and in Westwood Heath and are all closer than Leamington and Warwick.

"Taking exercise has always been important, both for physical and mental health," said Kenilworth Town and District Councillor Richard Dickson (Lib Dem, St John's)

"Post-Covid and with the Commonwealth Games coming, now is the time for some creativity to be shown by council staff and Everyone Active to keep as many active members as possible during the planned works.

"We want to ensure that users of the pools and leisure facilities in Kenilworth continue to take exercise and that they do so as locally as possible."

The Liberal Democrats' proposal will be debated in a motion at a full WDC meeting on 20 October 2021.

The motion says: "This council therefore asks cabinet to work with Everyone Active to put in place creative and imaginative solutions to ensure that, during the demolition and construction work at Abbey Fields and Castle Farm, as many existing members of Everyone Active are both retained and encouraged to take exercise."