A CONTROVERSIAL shake-up of the district’s swimming pools looks set to pass another milestone tomorrow.

Plans to build a new community swimming pool and sports facility near Odsal, to replace the ailing Richard Dunn centre nearby, are recommended for approval by a planning committee.

But the scheme has attracted objections from locals angry that the new leisure centre won’t have nearly as many facilities as the old one.

Bradford Council's plan would see a new £17.5m sports centre built on the Sedbergh playing fields at Huddersfield Road by the end of 2018, with the Richard Dunn centre and Queensbury Pool both closing once it opens.

But there would be no direct replacement of Richard Dunn’s popular Jungle adventure pool with waterslides and ‘Zambezee’ tyre ride.

While Queensbury Pool would be offered out for a community take-over, the Richard Dunn site would have to be sold off to part-finance the new-build, Council papers say.

A total of eighteen people have objected to the plans.

These included Helen Mitchell, of Rooley Lane, who wrote to planners to say: “We would much rather see the famous Richard Dunns refurbished, keeping all our facilities, than a new development with significantly reduced facilities.”

Julie Hyland, of Belmont Rise, said the planned new-build pool had far less to offer children and families than Richard Dunn.

In her objection letter, she said: “It has nothing to attract in children, or young families or even any tourists who come to visit Richard Dunns.

“It is designed for teams, clubs, gym and serious swimmers only.”

Michelle Mallinson, of McMillan Gardens, wrote in to say: “My son has no interest in a rectangular pool, teenagers don’t go swimming to do lengths. They get their exercise from going to visit slides then doing lengths because they are there.”

And Judith Beadsworth, of Cleckheaton Road, said in a letter that the development would create a traffic bottleneck.

In a letter to planners, she said: “Wouldn’t it be a better option to use the present site of Richard Dunn’s to build both a leisure centre and housing?”

Officers have recommended that the Regulatory and Appeals committee approve the plans when it meets at City Hall tomorrow.

A report says it would be a “new, high-quality sports facility”, with a 25m, six-lane swimming pool, a learner pool, sports hall and studios.

Outside, there would be two winter sports pitches, a junior pitch and training areas.

It says: “By developing this new facility, it will allow the relocation of the existing facility at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre to be relocated to more cost-effective premises.”

The plans are part of a wider scheme which will also see Bingley pool closed and offered out for a community take-over, as well as a new community pool built in Toller.

But further plans to build two more pools and close Bowling pool were scrapped earlier this year because of mounting costs.