PEOPLE only have until Sunday to give their opinion on whether Dorset Council should withdraw from the contract to run the leisure centre attached to a Wimborne school.

Queen Elizabeth’s School (QE) could lose nearly £300,000 in funding if it was to lose the leisure centre.

Dorset Council is considering whether to withdraw from the contract to run QE Leisure Centre, which could lead to its closure as a public facility which would reduce central government funding to the school by £280,000 per year.

A public survey was launched in September this year to find out how users, clubs and stakeholders would be impacted if Dorset Council was to withdraw from the agreement.

The survey closes on Sunday, November 7, with results fed back to council members who will make a final decision early next year.

Cllr Jill Haynes, portfolio holder for customer and community services, said: “At a time when all our Council budgets are stretched, we are struggling to justify continuing to spend so much on a facility that we don’t own, in an area that already has many leisure opportunities.

“We recognise that, if the school is unable to make alternative arrangements for the future management of the facility, there may be an impact on both employees and users. Therefore, it is important we carry out this consultation exercise so we can properly consider the views of those who may be most affected by the proposed withdrawal of our management.”