A final decision on the future of Dewsbury Sports Centre is just around the corner, with the site set to close its doors for good and be partially demolished.
The centre, described as the “beating heart” of the community, was forced to shut last September when it was found to contain collapse-prone RAAC concrete. As more than a year passed by, the facility has remained closed while the council explored its options and carried out investigations.
The ongoing closure has caused upset among locals, with campaign group, Save Dewsbury Sports Centre, tirelessly continuing in their fight to see the much-loved centre re-opened. However, with Cabinet now being asked to agree plans to permanently close the site, the likelihood of a reprieve is slipping away.
The decision will be taken tomorrow (5 November) and would also allow the ‘wet-side’ to be flattened and turned into a car park or given another alternative use.
Six options that have been considered are listed in the meeting’s report, including the re-opening of the entire site, re-opening of the ‘dry-side’ and transferring the asset to the community, but permanent closure is favoured due to a number of constraints.
The centre had been making the greatest loss of all the Kirklees Active Leisure-run (KAL) facilities, losing just over £1.1m each year. On top of this, the council says it would take approximately £10m to refurbish both the wet and dry side.
However, even the preferred plan comes with a hefty price tag, with the demolition and conversion into a car park coming at a cost of around £3.5m. The council will also have to exit a lease for the dry-side facilities which could incur a “significant financial cost”.
If the recommendations are approved, the council will also be writing off £697k of KAL’s remaining borrowing costs which were payable in instalments until 2035 for improvements to the fabric of the centre.
Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, Councillor Beverley Addy, said: “This is a difficult decision and one that we won’t take lightly. That’s why we’ve spent a year looking at all the options. But we can’t escape the fact that the building needs multi-million-pound improvements just to re-open as well as an ongoing subsidy of over £1m each year.
“Since we were forced to close the building, new gym facilities have also opened in Dewsbury offering competitive membership rates. There are also voluntary groups in the town who deliver a range of activities for residents to keep fit and healthy and the council is always keen to support community initiatives that promote physical and mental health.
“I understand that if Cabinet decide to follow the recommendation in the report this will be disappointing news for many people, but we have carefully weighed up all the options.
“We are already working on wider plans to support residents in North Kirklees to get active, among other actions to improve wellbeing. We especially want to support those facing the most difficult circumstances and we will look for opportunities to bring in outside funding to help us deliver that.”
