CONTROVERSIAL proposals to overhaul Caerphilly county borough’s sport and leisure services should be referred to full council, according to some councillors.

The council wants to run four ‘strategic’ leisure centres in Caerphilly town, Risca, Newbridge and in Aberbargoed or Bargoed to service the entire borough.

Cabinet members could endorse their draft and sport and active recreation strategy – which hints at several leisure centre closures – on November 14.

But a motion will call for all elected members to have the chance to vote and have their say on the strategy before it is finalised.

The motion will be delivered to the regeneration and environment scrutiny committee on October 30 by Independent councillor Kevin Etheridge, in a bid to draw more support.

On September 5, more than a hundred people attended a public meeting chaired by Cllr Etheridge to voice their opposition against the potential closures of Cefn Fforest and Pontllanfraith leisure centres.

READ MORE: Leisure centre closures would 'destroy' Caerphilly communities, meeting hears

The Blackwood councillor was joined by fellow Independent councillors Andrew Farina-Childs and Graham Simmonds, who support the motion, and Labour councillor Tom Williams.

Labour councillor Gez Kirby, along with Plaid Cymru’s opposition leader Colin Mann and Councillor Bob Gough, have also backed the motion.

The motion reads: “We the undersigned elected members call on the regeneration and environment scrutiny committee to make a recommendation to cabinet that the whole strategy is referred to full council for debate and vote by all elected members in the interests of openness and transparency.

“We acknowledge the strength of feeling and the campaign against the proposals to rationalise leisure centres, a campaign which has achieved cross party support, support of two former MPs [Lords Kinnock and Touhig] and the current MP [Chris Evans] within the Islwyn parliamentary constituency.”

READ MORE: Islwyn MPs oppose Caerphilly leisure closures in joint statement

More than 5,000 people have also signed a petition calling for Cefn Fforest and Pontllanfraith leisure centres to stay open.

The two sites, together with New Tredegar and Sue Noakes, face the greatest risk of closure as schools would be unable to take over management duties.

According to the petition, signees of the petition include Cefn Fforest and Pontllanfraith residents along with people from Argoed, Penmaen, Pengam, Aberbargoed, Ynysddu, Blackwood, New Tredegar, Abercarn, Newbridge, Risca East, Maesycwmmer, and Ystrad Mynach.