SAVING a Cleckheaton sports centre from closure could risk plans to rebuild a linked school and cost Kirklees Council £12 million, it has emerged.

A special meeting is being held next week to allow campaigners to have their say over the decision to close Whitcliffe Mount Sports Centre in the town, which was taken in secret by the authority's cabinet two years ago.

In a report to the meeting, which will be held at the sports centre next Thursday, fears are outlined that if the cabinet listens to campaigners and agrees to keep the centre, it will jeopardise the rebuilding of neighbouring Whitcliffe Mount school.

The school is part of a £150 million project to rebuild seven ageing schools in Yorkshire, including four in the Bradford district.

The report states that there is a "high likelihood" that the Education Funding Agency, which is responsible for the Government's priority school building programme, would withdraw the Cleckheaton school from the batch if the Council decides to keep the sports centre.

"The private finance contract is structured around a seven school deal... The contract cannot be delayed without incurring significant inflation and disruption costs.

"To change the design of the school will have notable cost implications, with the costs of redesigning and relocating the school building being far in excess of any savings with the omission of the demolition of the existing sports centre. These costs would exceed the current budget for the programme resulting in the need to remove the school from the programme," outlines the EFA in the report.

The council also estimates that it would cost £2m to keep the sports centre - £0.5m to reinstate the utilities it current share with the school, and £1.5m in repairs and improvements.

But if the school is withdrawn from the rebuilding scheme now, the EFA estimates the cost impact would be £7.75m and a further cost of £4.2m would be incurred if the new school was included in a future capital programme instead.

The report warns that the EFA could seek to recover the total cost of £11.95m from the council.

A key issue is that the plans to rebuild the school are on the site of the sports centre, which is due to close in May and be demolished to allow the scheme to go ahead.

The special meeting is being held so the cabinet gives further consideration to the decision to close the centre after complaints about a lack of consultation were upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman's findings were debated by councillors at a full council meeting on Wednesday, but next week's special cabinet meeting will be when the decision is taken.

A spokesman for the campaigners has questioned why the meeting is taking place at 4pm, when people will not be able to attend due to work and childcare commitments.

He said: "The start time of the meeting immediately excludes a very significant number of users from attending, including those who are working and those who may have child care issues with it being so soon after the end of the school day.

"How is that encouraging as many members of the public to attend the meeting?"

He also criticised the council for not publicising the meeting widely enough.

A spokesman for the council said the 4pm start time was selected due to the availability of the sports centre and that the meeting was being publicised following the date being set earlier this week.