Campaigners fighting to save a sports centre from demolition have accused Kirklees Council of “cloak and dagger” tactics.

The Friends of Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre group claim discussions to close the building was taken behind closed doors although the go-ahead to demolish it was given by Kirklees Cabinet.

The Friends fear councillors took the decision without the full facts and claim there was a lack of public consultation.

The neighbouring Whitcliffe Mount Business and Enterprise College is to be demolished and a new school and separate sports block built in its place.

The existing sports centre – used by the school and the public – will be demolished and the council’s Cabinet has approved a £395,000 plan to install a sports ‘pod’ on the Spenborough Pool site in Bradford Road, Littletown.

Group secretary Graham Morley said at a recent District Committee meeting council leader David Sheard “emphatically stated” that Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre did not make money but Cabinet papers in December reported an average annual surplus of £13,500 over the last three years.

Mr Morley said: “Clearly Clr Sheard is either not listening to what is said at council Cabinet meetings or he does not read the minutes of the meetings very carefully.

“At the December 17 Cabinet meeting, which he attended, item 2.22 clearly states: ‘WMSC has had an average annual surplus of £13.5k over the past three years.’ As this supposed ‘loss’ is one of Clr Sheard’s reasons for demolishing the sports centre then how many more false assumptions has he made regarding the sports centre?”

Mr Morley added: “Kirklees Council is playing a very ‘cloak and dagger’ game. They have delayed sending information out from Freedom of Information requests and only when the Ombudsman was involved did they reluctantly send the information and again with great delay”.

A council spokesman said: “Kirklees Council has complied with the recent Freedom of Information request and will supply information in the public domain by the deadline.

“The Ombudsman’s involvement has had no effect on responding to the FOI and we are co-operating with their request for information.

“Decisions regarding the new Whitcliffe Mount School had to be taken in private as the council was working with the Education Funding Authority, a government agency, and involved a number of confidential issues.

Whitcliffe Mount School
Whitcliffe Mount School

“As can be seen from the planning application in the public domain submitted by the EFA and approved by the Strategic Planning Committee in March, the redevelopment of the existing site requires the land presently occupied by the sports centre to build the new school, sports centre, games area and car park.

“We have therefore decided to invest in the sports facilities at Spenborough Pool, less than two miles from Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre, to ensure that residents in the Spen Valley continue to have access to quality sports and fitness facilities.

“Although Kirklees Active Leisure are presently making an operating surplus at WMSC, this does not take into account all the overhead and capital costs.

“Budget forecasts show that if the centre had remained open once the new build is complete, it would make a loss as the school would no longer contribute to its running costs as it would have its own facilities.

“Significant investment would also be required to meet the Disability Discrimination Act and to reconnect utility services it presently shares with the school.”