SPORT centre users at Churchdown School have spoken of their fears over the possible loss of facilities from April.

Tewkesbury Borough Council announced it will save £175,000 a year by withdrawing the subsidy it gives to leisure centre facilities at the secondary schools in Churchdown, Tewkesbury, Bishop's Cleeve and Brockworth.

They are used by pupils during the day in school term-time, but the council manages the centres in the evenings, weekends and during school holidays.

But the annual subsidy will stop from April.

Gloucestershire County Councillor Bill Whelan (Lib Dem, Churchdown St John) said: "If the centre can't be used by the community then it is a big loss for Churchdown."

The site is used for badminton, keep fit classes, roller skating and other sports activities.

The Golden Valley Badminton Club uses the centre every Tuesday and set up a 600 name petition to save the facilities in 2006.

Secretary Ken Rees said: "It is a shame that services are being cut but hopefully we will still use it.

"We aren't sure of the exact details yet but the current people who are paid to keep the centre open will be replaced by school site staff which will be paid a fee but it will be in advance and we will have to commit a term at a time. We want it to stay open."

Churchdown School said its sports centre facilities are not as good as the other centres and, as such, a loss of council funding will prevent it from generating enough revenue to cover staff working in the evenings.

The school's plan to sell off part of its playing field, to pay for new sports facilities that would have full community use, has been put on hold due to the recession.

Councillor Phil Taylor, the borough council's lead member for economic development and promotion, said: "The four sports centres based at the schools were invited to enter negotiations with the council to find a way of continuing community access.

"Churchdown School made it clear that it did not want to enter into negotiations."