Inflatable theme park Dare-2-Air heading to Dewsbury sports centre in £320,000 investment

The new family attraction, which could be open by summer 2020, is dependent on creating improved lift access to the sports hall – at a cost of £200,000.

That spending has already been agreed.

And early indications are that introducing Dare-2-Air could increase footfall by attracting more than 37,000 visitors a year.

The introduction of the popular inflatable theme park, due to be decided at next week’s meeting of Kirklees Council’s Cabinet (Dec 3), would coincide with a rebranding of the site.

The building, on Longcauseway, is to be renamed Dewsbury Leisure Centre.

The council has been asked to fund the Dare-2-Air attraction as operator Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL) has indicated that anticipated revenue returns “do not justify the estimated establishment costs and risks in delivering the project”.

In total it will invest more than half a million pounds into the centre. Any additional money, should costs go up, will have to be found by KAL, which leases the site from the council.

Announcement of the improvements form part of the council’s vision to make Dewsbury a “thriving market town”.

The money will come from the authority’s capital plan leaving just over £10.5m to spend on other projects.