After months of campaigning and controversy, a final decision has been made on the future of Kirklees’ leisure centres.
Residents can breathe a sigh of relief as Colne Valley Leisure Centre, and Batley Sports and Tennis Centre have officially been saved from the axe. The two leisure centres had previously been earmarked for closure along with Dewsbury Sports Centre, but a shock announcement earlier this month saw the two facilities given a reprieve, subject to the decision that was made earlier today (December 12).
Dewsbury Sports Centre hasn’t been so lucky and is to remain closed. The council says that this is due to the presence of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) at the site, as well as the millions of pounds worth of repairs that would be required to keep it open.
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The council and Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL) are in discussions around the feasibility of offering some level of dry side activities at the Dewsbury centre in the future, in addition to looking at opportunities for Dewsbury residents to be supported to be physically active in other ways.
Cllr Jackie Ramsay (Labour, Dewsbury South) told the meeting that she was “delighted” that two leisure centres had been saved but stressed the importance of having sports and leisure facilities in Dewsbury.
She said: “While I understand the RAAC issue at Dewsbury on the wet site, I’m very concerned that the leisure centre may remain closed as it serves a relatively deprived community, some of whom will struggle to get to other facilities because of financial issues, distance or public transport concerns.”
As for the borough’s other KAL-run leisure centres, eight will remain open – Batley Sports and Tennis Centre, Bradley Park Golf Club, Colne Valley Leisure Centre, Holmfirth Pool and Fitness Centre, Huddersfield Leisure Centre, Leeds Road Sports Complex, Scissett Baths and Fitness Centre, and Spen Valley Leisure Centre.
KAL has already withdrawn from the Stadium site and the council is working with Kirklees Stadium Development Limited to try and identify an alternative operator. It was brought to light during the meeting that KAL was paying £400k in annual rent, excluding operating costs, which was unsustainable.
KAL will also be leaving Deighton Sports Arena but will remain as the operator until at least April 2024. This is to allow for discussions to continue about the site being taken over by an alternative operator.
The plans for the future of the borough’s leisure centres took into account the 17,860 responses received in the six-week consultation on the matter. This high level of response was the largest Kirklees has ever seen.
During the consultation period, the council worked with KAL to remodel the organisation’s finances. Together they have been looking at ways to reduce expenditure and increase income, with the intention of ensuring a sustainable leisure offer can be maintained across the centres.
KAL has remodelled its offer using feedback from customers. They have also considered the expected national reduction in energy costs, reduced staffing and central business costs in the revised offer.
After the meeting, Cllr Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, said: “Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation. Your views and ideas have been vital. They’ve made a real, and positive, difference to the proposals.
“Council staff have worked hard with their colleagues at KAL to come up with an offer that makes health and fitness services available to as many residents as we possibly can. I’m pleased we’ve been able to broaden the leisure centre provision and that we’re able to do so within the financial limitations we set out originally.
“It’s still a tough financial climate out there for anyone running sports facilities anywhere in the country. And we haven’t yet been able to come up with a viable option for every centre. But if we can keep up the level of support that’s been shown for Kirklees centres during the consultation, the future looks a lot more positive than it did a few weeks ago.”
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