Kirklees Council is keen to dispel “rumours” around Dewsbury Sports Centre and has revealed how two of the borough’s leisure centres have avoided closure.
After Colne Valley Leisure Centre and Batley Sports and Tennis Centre seemed to be facing the same unfortunate fate, they were given a reprieve and will continue to operate. Their closures were on the cards due to the financial predicaments of both Kirklees Council and centre-operator Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL), with less funding being given to KAL in the coming financial years.
The reasons that KAL has been able to save enough cash to keep more leisure centres open than previously planned were set out at yesterday’s (December 5) meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee. Withdrawing from the Stadium site was among these, as was cutting down energy usage and 33 staff redundancies.
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On top of this, KAL has adopted an essential-spending-only approach and will be reviewing the opening hours of its sites where there’s limited customer use. The organisation has also managed to retain all school swimming lessons and seen those previously provided in Dewsbury transfer to other sites.
Another major money-saver has been the closure of Dewsbury Sports Centre. The site remains unsafe for re-opening due to the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and was already in need of millions of pounds worth of maintenance works.
The presence of the problematic concrete was called into question in October when a meeting of campaigners heard that Dewsbury Sports Centre had been declared safe just two weeks after the RAAC was identified. However, at the time, the council said that this was not the case, and councillors and officers at yesterday’s meeting wanted to quash rumours.
(Image: Kirklees Council)
The RAAC issue was addressed in a presentation given to the committee, as well as following a question from Cllr Shabir Pandor (Labour, Batley West). He told the meeting that it is essential to look at Dewsbury’s leisure offering, particularly due to the levels of deprivation in the area, and asked whether it was feasible to re-open “dry-side” facilities at the centre.
In response, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, Cllr Graham Turner, said that there would have to be a new entrance and boiler installed if the dry-side was to re-open. He also told the meeting that he had visited the Dewsbury centre last week and that the centre had numerous issues including those from RAAC, along with problems with the pool’s structure.
He added: “Rest assured there is RAAC in there, it is dangerous and I’m glad I’m not having to go back there myself and I wouldn’t send my family or children or grandchildren into that building because, in my opinion, it is unsafe. And while it may last another 100 years, it may also fall down next week.”
(Image: Kirklees Council)
While it seems unlikely that leisure activities will be provided at Dewsbury Sports Centre, at least in the near future, the council is in talks to establish what alternatives can be offered.
A decision on the borough’s leisure centre offering will be made by Cabinet next Tuesday (December 12). If members agree, Batley Sports and Tennis Centre, Bradley Park Golf Course, Holmfirth Pool and Fitness Centre, Huddersfield Leisure Centre, Leeds Road Sports Complex, Scissett Baths and Fitness Centre and Spen Valley Leisure Centre will remain open.
Deighton Sports Arena will continue to be managed by KAL until March 31 next year to provide extra time for alternative operating arrangements to be explored. Currently, discussions are being held with a potential partner and local councillors are working with a group of interested people from the community.
KAL has already left the Stadium’s leisure centre and will be withdrawing completely on December 24. The council is working with Kirklees Stadium Development Limited to find a new operator. Finally, the proposals see Dewsbury Sports Centre remain closed.
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