People living in a Stockport town fear a 'massive part' of their lives will be lost leaving their community 'destroyed'.

One pensioner said: "For me it's a death sentence, but what am I going to do?"

Following a decision earlier this year, Stockport council is selling the freehold for the major sports facility Stockport Sports Village to Stockport County Education Pathway Limited (SCEP), a company linked to the local sports club. The club was privately developed in 2012 by Woodley Sports club.

The Woodley site was later bought by Life Leisure – a Stockport council-owned company – providing sports and leisure facilities in the borough, in 2018 and it was later bought by the town hall. No sale price has been revealed, but the council considered the sale will cover borrowing leftover from the purchase in 2022.

Stockport County's takeover of the site has meant the Life Leisure gym on the site will close in December 2026. While there will still be access for community football, the move is driving fears amongst some in the local community arguing it was 'a deal done underhand behind closed doors'.

Several people in the community said the decision to sell the site took them completely by surprise in February 2026, including that even staff did not know it was happening. It is understood those will now either transfer to the football club or other Life Leisure roles.

James May, 89, started going to the gym after his wife passed away. He gets around on a three-wheeler bike but suffers with mobility issues meaning he will struggle to visit leisure facilities further away.

He fears not being able to use a gym will mean his health will decline as he will not be able to keep fit and the gym gets him out of the house, helping him be healthy and social.

James said: "I go without thinking and then I come home. At the moment I do not know what will happen. I think it will just help with my decline. In some ways it might be a death sentence.

"I was with my wife for 67 years and she wanted to die first and as usual she got her own way. I sat there last night and thought 'I am in God's waiting room'.

"It's getting out, it's going to the gym and seeing people and I am not a great exercise fiend."

He added: "If I had not been going to the gym, I would be in social care costing the state money. Because I am going to the gym and trying to keep myself fit, at the moment I am not a drain on the state."

Wendy Bishop, who used the gym to help recover from a stroke, also said: "If I do not look after myself, that affects the NHS and social services. They do not care about that side of it but it will cost them money in the end."

She is concerned community groups 'are being squeezed out' and argued Romley's facilities will not be able to cope with the extra demand while Marple's new £20m hub is not finished. There are also concerns the loss of access to a gym could mean fewer people spending money in local shops.

She added: "In my opinion they are destroying our community. I can't think of a better adjective. They are destroying it and we are paying them to do it. We are paying them to look after us and they are not."

Ken Knott, chairman of Stockport County Football Club, said: "Stockport County wanted to acquire the facility to create a platform to invest in expanding it and opening it up to greater community use," adding: "The council commissioned an open market valuation of the facility, and the club has agreed to pay the price advised by the valuer."

He said they will be looking to build a new indoor dome and double classroom capacity on the site. This will mean hundreds more students will be able to study on the site from 2028.

Responding to criticism the club was more interested in finances than the local community, Mr Knott said: "This is not borne out by the facts. Firstly, the club have committed to maintain all grassroots club bookings at the facility for a minimum 25-year period.

"All grassroots clubs have been spoken to and their bookings secured for the 2026/27 season. The new indoor dome proposed, containing a 60m x 40m 4G pitch will be available to grassroots clubs when not in use by the Academy so, in fact we are increasing the use of the facility for grassroots clubs.

"Secondly, we are proposing to double the number of students on our highly successful education programmes both at further and higher education level which is of huge benefit to young people across Stockport and that student population will benefit Woodley shopping precinct.

"Finally, the programmes being introduced by the club's community trust will be of huge benefit to the local community, particularly young and elderly people and they will be free of charge."

He added: "The local community will have a high degree of access to the facility, both the pitches and indoor studio. The clubs Community Trust will have a 'hub' at the facility."

Proposed free programmes include walking football for those aged over 50, youth engagement, girl's football sessions, and activity programmes for adults including those over 55. He said they will be advertising this later this year as well as plans for the new indoor dome with their plans benefiting the town overall.

Stockport Council was approached for comment.