MORE than 500 people have signed an online petition urging Dudley Council to keep three leisure centres open in the borough.

The council has confirmed plans are afoot to close all three authority-run borough centres – located in Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge – and build two new ones.

But fitness fans don’t want any of the three towns to be left without a leisure facility and swimming pool and they have launched a campaign on Facebook to make their voices heard.

The Save Our Leisure Centres group, started by former councillor and cabinet member for the environment and leisure - Tracy Wood, held its first meeting on November 18 and petitions have also been started, including an online e-petition which has already garnered more than 524 signatures.

Council bosses say Dudley Leisure Centre, Halesowen Leisure Centre and Stourbridge's Crystal Leisure Centre are all in desperate need of investment and repair, which is expected to cost more than £2million, and they want to replace the ageing facilities with two brand new fitness centres with swimming pools, badminton courts, gyms and studios.

They have insisted all three existing centres would continue to operate as normal until two new facilities have been built but they have not indicated where the proposed new centres could be located or how they would be run and funded.

Although the idea is still in its very early stages, centre users have vowed to fight it tooth and nail from the off so that neither Dudley, Halesowen or Stourbridge is left without a leisure centre or swimming pool.

Phil Steven, of Brierley Hill Swimming Club, is among leisure centre users fiercely opposed to the plan and he said: "We've handed about 40 or 50 sheets to members for the petition."

Tracy Wood added: "We have lots of people working on this and plan to meet at the leisure centre Saturday and get more signatures on the petition at the Stourbridge Christmas fayre.

"The council won't allow us to put the petitions in the leisure centres."

A report on the proposal will be presented to the council’s cabinet on Wednesday December 14.

To sign the online petition urging Dudley Council to keep three leisure centres open in their present towns click here.

To download a Save Our Leisure Centres poster click here.