Dewsbury Sports Centre (DSC) was closed in 2023 due to (RAAC) concrete issues. Kirklees Council deemed ‘the cost of essential repairs and making the building safe unaffordable’ and subsequently shut down the centre, There are now plans to open a brand-new sports centre. I spoke to campaigners for DSC Surraya Patel and Christine Cagna to hear what they thought.
The campaigners expressed their support for the new plans but said they were sceptical as to if and when, the council would proceed with them. They also expressed their frustrations about elected officials as well as Kirklees Council themselves not effectively communicating with residents and campaigners and called for things to change.
In a statement, Kirklees Council told me ‘We’ve always said sports, leisure and health facilities in North Kirklees are a priority and we would review the provision of services. We also know North Kirklees has high levels of health inequalities and we need to address that,’
They also assured residents, saying ‘The new centre will be built around the needs and wishes of local people, and we think it will make a positive impact on health and wellbeing for communities across North Kirklees.’
When asked about how confident Kirklees Council were about the new plans coming to fruition, I was told ‘The draft budget we published earlier this month includes a £35 million commitment to a new leisure centre…in the meantime, we are commissioning a feasibility study to make sure we get the right facility, at a high quality, in the right place.’
When asked how long it could be before residents see a new sports centre, Kirklees said ‘A project of this size and ambition takes years, not months. And it’s really important that we get the new facility right.’
And when finally asked about if these plans had anything to do with the Local Elections taking place next year, the council told me ‘No. When we took the difficult decision to close Dewsbury Sports Centre, we said it wouldn’t be the end for sports and leisure facilities in Dewsbury, and we’ve been working on the plans for future ever since… We’re now in a position to move forward with the plans with the views of local people right at the heart of the project.’
The closest sports centre is located in Batley, a 15-minute drive and 45-minute bus from Dewsbury.