A NEW £15 million replacement leisure centre for the Spen Valley looks set to take a key step forward later this week.

Plans for the scheme, which involves demolishing the existing Spenborough Pool, are being recommended for approval.

Documents, which will go before the authority's strategic planning committee on Thursday, also indicate that a skate park which was due to be lost in the redevelopment, could be saved after all.

The plans, which were submitted to planners in May, include an eight-lane 25m pool, a five-lane 20m activity pool, a fitness suite, as well as exercise and cycling studios, at the Liversedge site.

The scheme, which is being funded mainly by Kirklees Council, would also see Kirklees Active Leisure contributing £750,000.

A report by planners states: "The application is sought to provide a replacement Spen Valley Leisure Centre. The Kirklees Built Leisure and Sports Facilities Framework states that the existing fitness complex building is reaching the end of its economic life.

"There is an existing shortfall of water space across the borough which is heightened by an increase in population."

It adds that the proposal will provide "much improved leisure facilities to meet the needs of the local community".

In addition "mixed views" about the loss of the skate park in a recent consultation, have resulted in action to find an alternative location, with the Council "listening to the voices of the young people who feel passionately about the skate park".

The authority is exploring the feasibility of relocating the skate park within Royds Park to the north of the site.

The report also indicates that a prior notification application in relation to the demolition of the existing sports centre details that the work to bring down the building is expected to start on September 9.

The multi-storey reinforced concrete framed building will be demolished using a top down method and the site will then be cleared in readiness for work on the new sports centre to begin.

It has also emerged that the separate fitness suite is not included within the application for demolition.

This is because the fitness suite will remain in use until a later stage in the development of the site. While work is being carried out, users will be directed to the car park connected to the athletics pavilion instead.

An earlier planning statement outlined how alternative sites for the new leisure centre, including other locations within the existing site, were considered and ruled out.

“Alternative sites have been considered by Kirklees Council to accommodate the proposed development.

“An initial search in 2015/16 for potential sites in the Spen Valley area for the construction of a new Spen Valley Leisure Centre did not identify any deliverable sites due to issues such as ownership, planning and/or legal constraints and Sport England concerns about other sporting facilities.”

A detailed appraisal evaluated the potential locations on the existing pool site, which concluded that the most appropriate site was on the site of the existing swimming pool.

A decision is expected to be made at the committee on Thursday, July 11, from 1pm.