MORE than 1,350 people braved the snow on Saturday to vote for a new fitness suite after civic bosses controversially closed their town’s old sports centre.

Durham County Council closed Glenholme sports centre in Crook, County Durham, as part of a cost-cutting exercise in 2011 despite a 4,000-plus signature petition urging it be kept open being handed over.

On Saturday locals turned out in Crook to vote on which community project should benefit from a £500,000 council fund.

Durham County Council’s Three Towns Area Action Partnership managed the event, which was designed to boost capital schemes from local community and not-for-profit organisations in the area.

People living, working or volunteering in Crook, Tow Law, Willington and the surrounding villages were invited along to Crook Primary School to vote for their favourite projects.

Of the 12 projects bidding for funding, there was a clear favourite identified by the public. Crook Community Partnership’s project requiring £500,000 attracted most public support.

The scheme will provide a fitness and wellness centre in a new eco-friendly building using renewable energies.

Its community facilities will include an adult gym, youth fitness provision and multi-purpose rooms including a dance studio.

The project received 1,621 points in the public vote. That was almost double the number of points scored by the project which came in second place.

Dorothy Winter, chair of Crook Community Partnership said: “I would like to thank the people of the Three Towns Area Action Partnership for coming out in such numbers on such a cold day. It was really quite overwhelming.

“I would also like to thank them for putting their faith in us and our project. We do want to work with other people in moving the project forward. It will be a lot of hard work but we are looking forward to the challenge.”

Gordon Elliott, head of partnerships and community engagement with Durham County Council, said: “The fact that more than 1,350 people have taken the time to vote on such a cold day is testament to the passion people feel here about their town and what happens in Crook.”

The £500,000 was ring-fenced in 2008 by the former Wear Valley District Council for the refurbishment of the Elite Hall on Church Hill but the cost of repairing the building was far greater than the funds available. Durham County Council promised the money would go to a public vote for community schemes.

Crook’s Glenhome Leisure Centre, which included a swimming pool, was closed when the county council said it could not afford to run it.

Lyndon Longthorne, 16, joined local councillor Eddie Murphy in handing over a 4,000-signature petition urging the council to at least listen to offers to keep it open. Lyndon, from Crook, lost both legs and an arm when he was struck down with meningitis as a baby.

But his talent and fighting spirit ensured he made a recovery and is now a remarkable swimmer.

His mother Tammy Shevels said: “Swimming at Glenholme helped Lyndon’s recovery. I didn’t have a car at that time so there was nowhere else I could have taken him.”

MP Pat Glass said at the time she was “bitterly disappointed” with the decision to close Glenholme.