Kirklees Council cash crisis: Thousands support petition against closing 'massive part of Batley and Birstall community'

The campaign has been launched after Kirklees Council announced it could permanently shut the Batley resource and Dewsbury Sports Centre as part of plans to save £47.8m.

Launched by Howden Clough Football Club yesterday (September 19), it says: “This centre is the home to Howden Clough Football Club and has been for many decades and we are asking locals to help us fight to keep our home and our children’s football club safe.

"Howden Clough Junior Football Club alone has over 300 children using its facilities per week, not to mention the other sporting clubs that use the facilities too, for example Yorkshire Elite, White Rose and Farsley Celtic.

“Local schools, such as Windmill C of E Primary School and Batley Girls High School, are in regular use of the sports centre facilities, as well as North Kirklees School Sports Partnership which also delivers physical education to children using these facilities.

“Amongst other things, this sports centre is a community hub for other sporting facilities used by people of all ages and socio-economic groups.

"This facility is a massive part of the Birstall and Batley community. Even families from afar come to use this facility.

"The sports centre is always extremely busy and the loss of it will majorly impact the community.

“The purpose of this petition is to provide KAL and Kirklees Council that the people of Birstall, Batley and beyond will not let a huge part of our community go without trying our hardest to save it.

“Our children need their hobbies such as football, tennis and swimming, as well as a recreational space and a safe place to go which is what our sports centre provides for them.

"This will also put many people at risk of losing their jobs whilst we are in a cost-of-living crisis.”

MP for Batley and Spen Kim Leadbeater has said she will do all she can to save the centre.

"I want to assure my constituents that I will do everything I can to work with the local authority and KAL to protect the much loved resources and amenities that local people rely upon,” she said.

A link to the petition can be found at https://www.change.org/p/save-batley-sports-and-tennis-centre