Aireborough youngsters are celebrating after council leaders approved a scheme costing more than £100,000 to extend its leisure centre.

Leeds City Council's Executive Committee approved plans to extend Aireborough Leisure Centre to provide new youth facilities.

It agreed to fund the £115,000 extension, which will replace the 30-year-old run down portable cabin which the Guiseley Youth Project currently relies on.

At a meeting last Wednesday the Committee looked carefully at two possible options to resolve the need for new facilities.

It looked at either converting Oxford House in Guiseley or extending the Leisure Centre.

The refurbishment of Oxford House was dismissed as the plans cost in excess of £100,000, it would have been too big and the potential Capital Receipt for the disposal of the building was estimated at £200,000.

Extending the leisure centre would mean the cabin could be closed, more car parking spaces could be created and the money from the disposal of Oxford House would be freed up.

Presently the council only operates a youth facility in a portable building on the leisure centre car park. Following a review of community facilities it was revealed the cabin needed £10,000 of repairs to maintain it.

The single storey extension would allow the Guiseley Youth Project to expand its activities and other community groups would be able to make use of the facilities at other times.

It will be 90 square metres, doubling the current space the youngsters have, with its own kitchen and toilet facilities.

The Aireborough Community Involvement Team has offered the Youth project £15,000 towards the cost of alternative facilities and the Priority Major Maintenance Fund could contribute £10,000 to the cost of construction.

Chairman of the Aireborough CIT, Councillor Graham Latty said: "I welcome this decision to invest in the area's youth.

"My fellow councillors and I have been working for this acknowledgement that our young people have the right to have their needs catered for. For too long now we have been the poor relations of Leeds, this at last is a step in the right direction."

The Department of Community Planning and Regeneration has confirmed that an extension would be the best way of meeting the identified need for such a facility in the Guiseley area. The extension is subject to planning permission being granted.

The Department of Leisure Services has confirmed that the proposed extension could be managed as part of the Leisure Centre and that the extension would not interfere with the operation of it.