COUNCILLORS have called for a review of sports facilities in the Spen Valley to be made public before this May's elections.

A review of sports centres and sports provision across Kirklees, which was due to be published last month, has now been pushed back until after May.

The Council’s cabinet published capital budget plans, which include funds to replace Spen Pool, Bradford Road, Liversedge and facilities at Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre, Turnsteads Avenue, Cleckheaton.

But councillors are concerned that until the Cabinet’s review is made public, any budget commitments Cabinet makes to replace sports provision in the Spen Valley cannot be relied on.

Cllr Andrew Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) said: “Until Labour publishes its review of sports provision, I have serious reservations about whether their plans for replacing Whitcliffe Mount will ever come to fruition.

"I am acutely aware that numbers the Cabinet puts in a column in February could suddenly disappear based on what that review says and the fact they have chosen to delay that report until after May makes me very suspicious.

“We want the Council to invest £8 million in a replacement pool at Spen Baths and an additional £2m to create an almost like-for-like replacement for the facilities at the Whitcliffe Mount site.

"Overall this proposal, which would also cost less, could be delivered more quickly and, most importantly, it’s what local actually people want.

“By contrast, Labour’s proposals don’t give any detail and until their review is published, simply cannot be relied on.

"There is nothing to stop them saying one thing in February and then using the review to make a U-turn on the issue post elections.

"As such we are openly challenging the Cabinet to publish that review before May.”

But Kirklees Council says the Kirklees Facilities Strategy, which will look at all of the sports and leisure facilities in Kirklees, will be discussed by members of elected committees, with final recommendations still to be published in May.

A spokesman said: “The Kirklees Facilities Strategy is currently being developed in partnership with Sport England.

"The strategy will look at all the built sports and leisure facilities in Kirklees, both individually and as a whole, before making recommendations for discussion by elected members on the relevant committees.

"The process began in September with the aim of the final recommendations being published in May 2015.

"The sports provision in the Spen Valley area will be considered as part of the process, taking into account the changes already agreed by cabinet for the sports facilities at Whitcliffe Mount School.

"At the same time the council are developing a Playing Pitch Strategy for Kirklees, which also has a target completion date of May.”