Closing dry ski slope 'would be short-sighted'

Britain's most successful alpine ski racer Dave Ryding said losing a dry ski slope at risk of closure would be "short-sighted".

The five-time Olympian started out in Pendle, Lancashire, but has fond memories of Rossendale's artificial slope, which could be closed in a review of council-owned leisure centres.

Ryding said if Rossendale Borough Council did decide to shut its doors, it would have a "huge impact" on the community of skiers that use it and the next generation, which could be deterred from getting into the sport.

The Hill Ski Centre, which opened in 1973 as a centre for skiing, snowboarding and other activities, provides community benefits but is costly, a council report said.

Ryding won Britain's first alpine skiing World Cup gold medal in 2022.

The 39-year-old's first experience of skiing came as a six-year-old on a plastic dry slope in Pendle.

The review could see changes coming for a Rawtenstall museum and a Whitworth venue, too, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The Rawtenstall slope provides many community benefits but is costly and "constrained" in offering new attractions, the council report stated.

The council is reviewing all its leisure sites managed on its behalf by Rossendale Leisure Trust.

Running costs, loans and customer income are key factors for the council and trust, which use a mix of cash from the council, Sport England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The report suggests the leisure trust should focus on gym, sport and physical activity sites, including Marl Pits Swimming Pool, and other future options should be explored for the ski slope, the Whitaker Museum in Rawtenstall, and Ashworth Centre in Whitworth.

The trust manages a "diverse and ageing" network of sites, the report also said.

It said the ski slope's future was "the most complex" of three recommendations councillors are to consider on 6 May.

The report said: "The Hill carries £39,000 of the inter-company loan and its current lay-out limits its capacity to diversify. The nursery slope is already being used for skiing and rubber ring tubing, leaving very little room to develop additional activity without investment in new infrastructure.

"Whilst The Hill delivers genuine community benefit, its ability is constrained, external investment opportunities are limited and the financial case for the scale of spending needed does not stand-up against the income it can realistically generate."

It added any decision to cease operation must address a Sport England grant of £470,000 which carries "claw-back" provisions.

Overall, the report said the breadth of sites creates "real challenges" in generating enough income to cover costs, invest in facilities and manage the "inter-company loan".

The range of sites reflects the trust's development over years but limits its ability to focus on the areas of greatest financial return. But there is a clear opportunity to re-orient Rossendale Leisure Trust toward its core purpose of physical activity, sport and leisure.

The report recommends the council-owned Whitaker Museum and Gallery should stay in the leisure trust's governance for now, while actively working toward making it independently viable in future.

The report also said the Ashcroft in Whitworth has evolved considerably since joining the leisure trust and is now mainly a local events and community venue, the report says.

Whitworth Town Council is interested in an asset transfer from Rossendale Council.

The town council already has a relationship with The Ashcroft and there are potential links with Whitworth Leisure Centre, which the town now manages.

However, a transfer would place additional responsibilities including costs on the town council, which it will need to show it can handle.

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