Cllr Martin Hill OBE, leader of Lincolnshire County Council, has written to South Kesteven District Council offering to transfer the freehold of the site to their authority.
Cllr Hill said: “Like the district council, we would like to see Deepings Leisure Centre remain within the community. We’ve received a business case from a local community group that is interested in taking it on, but a number of questions remain about the viability of their proposals.
“In particular, there are concerns about what would happen to the site should the community group’s plans fail at some point. We’ve given the group further time to address these concerns, but, as we’ve made clear previously, the county council is unwilling to take on the financial liabilities and safety risks that would arise if the building were to remain empty for a prolonged period of time.
“A possible solution is to transfer ownership of the site to the district council. This would allow SKDC to broker a deal that can meet the aspirations of the local community, while minimising any potential impact on the neighbouring school. It would also mean that the county council is not liable for any costs associated with maintaining or demolishing the building should the leisure centre proposals fail at any time.
“We have written to the district council about this potential transfer, which could also open the way to a financial contribution, and now await their response.”