PROPOSALS have been put forward which could secure the future of a snowsports centre which is threatened with closure.

Bassingbourn Snowsports Club is set to close next March because its headquarters, at Bassingbourn Barracks, will be inaccessible when the army vacates the barracks site. Supply of utilities to the site will also cease at this time.

However, the club’s committee have been working hard to come up with a solution, and have submitted two proposals to their landlords, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

Club chairman David Allanson said: “We’re just waiting to hear back now, and the DIO have said that they should have a response for us by the end of the month.

“At the moment we don’t have any idea as to what their thinking is – typically where the Ministy of Defence is concerned you have to wait for everything to go up the chain of command and back down again.

“We’ve got our open day coming up this weekend and hopefully it won’t be the last one.”

An online petition has been launched to help people show support for the centre, while a Facebook page has also been set up for posting testimonials, pictures and videos.

Mr Allanson is also hopeful of a bumper attendance at the open day, which runs from 9am-6pm on Sunday, November 4. Access on the day will be via the north gate, meaning visitors do not need to sign in at the barracks main entrance, and entry is �5.

The long-term future of the barracks remains undecided, and a Ministry of Defence spokesman told The Crow: “Further details regarding future use of the Bassingbourn site are likely to be available towards the end of the year.”

To sign the petition, log on to the centre’s website, www.skibass.org. The Facebook group can be found at www.facebook.com/SaveBassingbournSnowsportsCentre