A leisure centre is at risk of temporary closure after the beleaguered trust running the facility confirmed it is set to fold.

Tenterden Leisure Trust (TLT) will hand back control of the town's swimming pool and gym after a months-long standoff with Ashford Borough Council (ABC).

The council said negotiations with the trust "to relinquish the lease of Tenterden Leisure Centre" had started with ABC aiming to make a "smooth transition" in taking it over.

In a statement, an ABC spokesman said: “The council has started exploratory discussions with operators to ensure customers can enjoy using the full set of facilities available, including swimming, as soon as practically possible.”

The move comes after months of clashes between the two bodies over the continued closure of the centre's swimming pool.

The council said it was "extremely disappointed and concerned" by the situation, which kicked off just three months after a near-year-long closure finally ended.

Following what centre manager Jordan Garland described as "one of the most challenging periods in the history [of the centre]", the relaunch in September saw a completely renewed roof installed alongside a refreshed interior at the cost of almost £2 million.

However, the swimming pool was forced to close once again at the beginning of December after debris fell from the roof.

Its continued closure means it has only been open in three of the last 18 months. Other services have continued to be available.

ABC insisted safety inspections were carried out and the pool was safe to reopen, but TLT and Serco – the operators of the centre – said they were seeking further reassurances there was no danger to customer safety following continued issues with the roof.

Last month, ABC served notice it will be cutting funding to the trust and Serco, which served notice to cease its contract with the trust to operate the centre.

Speaking to Tenterden Town Council in a committee meeting last week, a TLT representative said that it had been left with "no option" but to fold after funding was pulled.

"Ashford Borough Council had been covering any deficit on the earnings of the leisure centre to keep it open, they have given notice that they won't cover that beyond the end of April," he explained.

"Serco has responded that as from the end of April they will no longer be covering the leisure centre, and so we are being forced into surrending its lease."

It is believed while the process is ongoing, the leisure centre could be forced to temporarily shut if the council does not establish a new operator in time.

A source said: "This could be a matter of mere days, but it could also be weeks or more. It's unbelievable that it has got to this point."

There has been no suggestion that the centre will close permanently, with ABC saying customers should "hopefully not notice too much difference in the longer term".

Since April 2021, more than £500,000 has been given in support to the trust per year. The projected deficit for the council's budget for the next financial year is almost £2.9m.

A council spokesman said £1.1m has been provided since that date, alongside £1.5m for recent repairs and a further £465,000 for further works.

Previously, residents said they "just want be able to swim again" amid the ongoing arguments, with many taking to social media to vent their frustrations and call for a resolution to rectify the situation swiftly.

One described the various statements as "peacocking".

"The children in the local area just need the pool back and for all of this to be over," they said.

"This is a load of word salad to somehow placate people who have been complaining," added another.

"What they do not say is when the swimming pool will be reopened, which is all that people want to know."

"ABC, Serco and Tenterden Leisure Centre Trust appear to be a bunch of clowns who have no idea of what they are doing."