A ROW has broken out over whether Whiteley's Meadowside Leisure centre should be sold off because too many "outsiders" are using it.

Conservative George Hollingberry, prospective parliamentary candidate for Winchester, wants owners of the venue, Winchester City Council to consider the move as only a quarter of users are Winchester residents.

Meadowside, in Whiteley Way, received nearly £120,000 in council subsidies last year but research showed that only 25 per cent (161) of the centre's 640 members are from the Winchester City Council area. The vast majority - 61 per cent - are from Fareham borough.

Civic leader of neighbouring Fareham Councillor Sean Woodward, a Whiteley resident, says it is Fareham residents that are keeping the centre afloat. He said: "We have put a lot of money into Fareham Shopping Centre but we don't stop people from outside the borough from coming and shopping there and we don't put a toll on it. It's the same with leisure centres everywhere.

"It seems to me that Fareham residents heavily subsidise the Meadowside and if they didn't use it, it would go bust.

"I would have thought they would be best off doing what we do in Fareham and issuing leisure cards to residents who get discounted use of the facility. That would solve the problems."

Mr Hollingberry, who is also a city councillor, has met with an unnamed local businessman who wants to buy the site and expand it while guaranteeing subsidies for Winchester residents. He said: "This clearly is not a good use of hard pressed local taxpayers money which in three quarters of cases is subsidising people from outside the district to use Meadowside.''

A spokesman for Winchester City Council added: "We have had no approaches from anyone about the Meadowside Centre. If the businessman concerned comes forward with a proposal, we would obviously consider it."