Town's leisure centre closure plan to be examined

Plans to permanently close a leisure centre described as a "cornerstone of the community" are to be examined following public opposition.

Dewsbury Sports Centre shut its doors in September 2023 after collapse-prone reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found on site.

Kirklees Council said it would cost too much to refurbish the site and agreed to permanently close it at a meeting last week.

But, after councillors from the Community Alliance party called-in the decision, it will now be subject to further scrutiny.

Former council leader Cathy Scott told a meeting on Tuesday the closure "threatens the well-being of the entire town".

"Dewsbury Sports Centre is not merely a facility, it’s a cornerstone of our community, she said.

"It's a place where people of all ages come to exercise, socialise and learn."

Scott, for Dewsbury East, said a report into the state of the building showed there was no Raac on the "dry side" and said the authority could have explored options to re-open that.

She accused the council of "stripping away a crucial source of health and social activity in a rush to balance the books".

Dewsbury West councillor Tanisha Bramwell also spoke against the plans, saying the council's decision was both "wrong and negligent".

The Independent councillor said the sports centre had been a lifeline when she was a teenager and stopped her being involved in anti-social behaviour and gang-related activities.

"The youth workers took me from my estate to the sports centre and it was there I found my love of football and joined a team," she said.

"I did, and saw, so many opportunities because the centre bridged that gap."

Kirklees Council said it would cost approximately £10m to refurbish both the wet and dry sides of the centre.

The centre had been making the greatest loss of all the Kirklees Active Leisure-run (KAL) facilities, losing just over £1.1m each year

Responding to the comments, Beverley Addy, cabinet member for adult social care and health, said the decision "was not a choice".

"The Raac is real, the figures are real.

"Nothing can take away the pain of the loss of a centre which holds such nostalgic and important memories that have influenced people lives."

She said the authority would be "making new opportunities for people and looking after people's public health."

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