SPORTS clubs will have to find new homes when Lightwaves Leisure Centre closes next summer.
Wakefield Council has announced it will close the centre, on Marsh Way.
Council chiefs admitted the new pool will not have a sports hall or squash courts and would not cover all of the services currently offered at Lightwaves.
Lisa Dodd, service director for sport and culture, said the council would work with clubs currently using Lightwaves’ to find new venues.
She said: “The council is investing £10m in a new pool and fitness facility on the site of the former Sun Lane Baths. As a result Lightwaves will be surplus to requirements and will cease to be managed by the council once the new facility opens in summer 2012.
“The operational budgets for Lightwaves will transfer to the new facility, which includes the staffing budgets. We are working with sports clubs that currently participate at Lightwaves to identify alternative venues.”
Ms Dodd said Lightwaves’ closure had been planned since 2008 and that it was included in the council’s Sport and Active Lifestyles Strategy, on which the public were consulted.
She said: “A cabinet report in September 2008 stated that the new facility would replace Lightwaves, and that thought would need to be given to user groups as the new facility would not cover all the facilities that Lightwaves provided. As a result there would be a need to relocate some users to alternative provision.”
Local community groups are preparing to submit proposals to take over the management of Lightwaves.
The new swimming pool and fitness centre will open on the site of the former Sun Lane baths, which closed in 2007.
It will house a six-lane, 25m pool, a learner pool, a 100 station fitness suite, a multi-use activity and dance studio plus a spectator area. But wait a takeover bid is in the pipeline.....
A COMMUNITY group is preparing a takeover bid that would rescue Lightwaves from closure.
The leisure centre is to close next July when Wakefield Council opens a new £10m swimming pool on Sun Lane.
It would leave many sports and fitness groups needing to find a new venue.
But Next Generation Youth and Community Project, which runs many activities at Lightwaves, is preparing an asset transfer bid which would put them in control of the leisure centre.
Director Mohammed Ayub said: “Users want to keep the facility open as they will not be able to use Sun Lane.
“Lightwaves has great potential to give people of all backgrounds and ages accessible and affordable opportunities to meet and to be active.
“It is in an accessible place for the whole of the district, especially for young people.”
The White Rose Boxing Club, Tomiki Aikido Club, Polonia Volleyball Club, and Wakey Wheeled Cats all said they wanted the facility to stay open at a meeting this week.
Mr Ayub said Wakefield College was also interested in using Lightwaves and becoming a key partner in the running, maintenance and development of the facility.
The bid will be submitted by the end of the month and a decision will be made by the council’s cabinet.
Users are invited to show their support at a meeting at Lightwaves on Wednesday from 7pm.
Any groups wanting to continue or start using Lightwaves could contact Next Generation on 01924 302320.
Nationalists in the Wakefield & 5 Towns area predicted this takeover 18 months ago, and word as it that WMDC wil give the Muslim group £3m to make ''alterations''. If anyone knows of any news regarding this takeover then please leave a comment below.
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