Plans for to replace Dewsbury Sports Centre with brand new leisure centre revealed
Dewsbury Sports Centre first closed its doors in 2023 when potentially dangerous Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was found on site.
Council plans to build a new leisure centre to serve Dewsbury and North Kirklees have just been revealed and are set to get the green light next week.
The new centre would replace Dewsbury Sports Centre (DSC) which first closed its doors in 2023 when potentially dangerous Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was found on site. DSC was later earmarked for permanent closure, with the final decision being made by cabinet in November, despite major backlash.
At next week’s Cabinet meeting (October 21), councillors will consider a landmark report on physical activity in North Kirklees. The report follows a major consultation – focused in Dewsbury and Batley over the summer – which asked residents about how they try to keep active and the barriers that prevent them from staying healthy.
Cabinet members will consider the results of this engagement and will be asked to agree a recommendation to build a new leisure facility to serve the Dewsbury and North Kirklees area.
If the proposal is agreed next week, the council will move to an options appraisal and feasibility study on the type of complex and facilities that would best meet the needs of residents. The study will consider possible locations and the design of a new complex. Members are also expected to pledge to include the cost of building the new facility in forthcoming council budgets.
Leader of Kirklees Council, Cllr Carole Pattison, said: “When Dewsbury Sports Centre closed last year, we said it wasn’t the end for sports and physical activity provision for the town. We’ve now done the groundwork we need to build a new leisure facility that will truly meet the needs of people in Dewsbury and beyond.
“Over the summer, local people told us about their hopes and ambitions to get fit and look after their physical and mental health. They also described how a new leisure facility would encourage them and their families to get more active. But a new leisure centre isn’t just about health, it’s also about pride of place. People want safe and convenient ways to look after their physical and mental health.
“Alongside the major investment that’s going into the North Kirklees economy and transport infrastructure over the coming years, we think a new leisure centre will be another way we can improve the quality of life for residents in Dewsbury and surrounding areas.
“It’s really important that we get the new facility right. Rates of physical activity are lower in North Kirklees than elsewhere in the country and that was the case even when Dewsbury Sports Centre was open. That’s why we need a new approach that really listens to residents’ experiences and delivers the right facilities that will make a difference to people’s lives. There’s a lot more work to do to make it a reality, but this Cabinet is ready to commit the funding and expertise to make it happen.
“I want to thank everyone who took part in the engagement exercise over the summer. They’ve made this happen. There’s a lot more work to do but this is a once-in-a-generation decision and we need to get it right for families and communities across North Kirklees for decades to come.”
While plans for the new centre are being finalised, the council says it will work with Kirklees Active Leisure to complement existing local community provision and increase the range of community based physical activities on offer in North Kirklees to give more opportunities for residents to get fit and stay healthy.
It will also work alongside community organisations and NHS partners in North Kirklees who already support people to be active and break down the barriers which cause health inequalities.