Save Dewsbury Sports Centre: Community campaign group calls on Kirklees Council to halt demolition of town’s beloved leisure centre
The Save Dewsbury Sports Centre campaign group has issued a plea to Kirklees Council to stop the demolition of the complex.
The centre has been closed since September 2023 with the council’s cabinet green-lighting plans for its permanent closure on November 5, 2024.
Following that decision, the council-owned ‘wet-side’ of the facility can now be demolished, with the intention of turning the space into a car park or giving it another alternative use.
A spokesperson for Save Dewsbury Sports Centre said: “The people of Dewsbury are calling on Kirklees Council to stop the demolition of Dewsbury Sports Centre and honour the commitments they made to the community.
“Their words have not matched their actions, and their decisions are failing the people of Dewsbury.
“While millions are being written off in Huddersfield, they claim Dewsbury cannot afford a sports centre. Enough is enough.
“Stop the demolition. Reopen Dewsbury Sports Centre. The people of Dewsbury deserve better.
“We demand Kirklees Council listen to the community, honour their commitments, and stop the unnecessary destruction of Dewsbury Sports Centre.”
Providing an update from the council, Coun Graham Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Regeneration, said:
“Since Cabinet’s decision last year, we’re currently working towards plans for these next stages.
“As soon as we have a firm timeline, we’ll be sharing this with the public.”
The centre, on Longcauseway, was initially closed to the public after the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) in the building, with Kirklees Council saying it would cost £10m, approximately, to refurbish both the wet and dry sides of the building.