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Go-ahead hope for sports centre
ProposalS for new sports centre in Huddersfield are set to be approved by councillors next week.
But the plans are dependent on the sale of land on the current sports centre site to supermarket company Tesco, which wants to build a new superstore.
A large chunk of the estimated 36.2m cost of the new sports centre would come from the land sale.
The facility is proposed for the Spring Grove car park, Springwood, and would replace the existing centre in Southgate, which would be demolished along with Lonsbrough and Ibbotson flats and the Intech Data Centre.
At their meeting on Tuesday, members of the authority's Cabinet committee will view a report which confirms that proposed features include a 25-metre swimming pool, a teaching pool, two large sports halls, climbing, squash and martial arts facilities, a large fitness suite and a caf and children's area.
Proposals also include a family leisure water facility, including a beach-like area, wave machine, flume, sidewinder and several more water features. According to the report, the estimated cost of the centre is 36.2m, but a substantial amount of this funding would come from the capital receipt gained by the council selling land to Tesco for a new store at Southgate.
The report says the current sports centre is in decline and nearing the end of its useful life.
Repair or remodelling would cost between 18m and 22m and take up to two years.
The report says benefits of the overall project would include developments to regenerate Huddersfield town centre during the recession.
The council is proposing that the new sports centre will be the most environmentally friendly in the country.
The council and Tesco also plan to redevelop the site of the present supermarket in Viaduct Street, which would get a hotel, apartments, flats, some retail outlets and offices.
But opponents of the Tesco deal say that the town centre would be damaged by the proposals.
There is also concern about plans by Asda to build a new store in Queen Street South which is currently occupied by engineers Thomas Broadbent.
The report states: "The Tesco store will have an impact on the town centre but not significantly so."
A Kirklees Council spokesman said the authority's Liberal Democrat-Labour partnership had considered the plans for some time before making any decisions.
He said: "The council's partnership administration has spent several months reflecting on this issue in order to avoid making rushed decisions.
"If the Cabinet confirms its support, this could lead to the submission of two planning applications within the next few weeks and a new sports centre being open in two-and-a-half years.
"The ultimate decision will be made by the planning committee, based on all relevant factors."
If the planned timetable goes ahead, work could start on the new sports centre in November 2010, with an opening planned for November 2012. Council officers have estimated that the centre will see a 30-50 per cent increase in users compared
with the existing centre which attracts around 500,000 visitors per year.
The authority says the overall plans "provide an opportunity for two key gateway sites (Southgate and Viaduct Street) to be re-developed."
It is estimated that the Tesco superstore plans will create or safeguard around 250 jobs, while a further 300 jobs in construction will be created or safeguarded with the Viaduct Street plans.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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