A HUDDERSFIELD sports centre could be demolished and replaced with a new one.

A planning application has been submitted to Kirklees Council for a building to replace Crosland Moor's Muhammad Ali Sports and Community Centre.

The centre, in Gilbert Grove, consists of a small meeting room and a bar area. It also has several sports pitches.

The African Caribbean Sports Development Trust, which owns the centre, wants a building with a bigger community room and better bar area, which could be hired out for functions or used for meetings.

There are also plans for changing facilities to encourage use of the outdoor pitches.

Philip Bentley, of Leeds-based Seymour Harris Architects, is acting as agent for the planning application.

He said: "The project has been about eight years in the making. All they have at the moment is an out-of-date bar area, which acts as a multi-use room for community functions."

The new centre and facilities are expected to cost about £1m. It is hoped most of this will come from an Active England grant.

Active England is a funding body made up of money from Sport England and the Government's New Opportunities Fund.

Carol Gilchrist, of Kirklees Community Support Service, is helping the trust's bid for cash.

She said: "They are in a very good position. Hopefully, the new building will create opportunities to promote health and physical activity."

The trust has put in a bid for cash and a decision is expected early next month.