THE leisure facility being built to replace Richard Dunn Centre will open next month or early in November.

At a meeting next week Councillors will be given an update on Bradford Council’s Sports Facilities Investment Plan - which includes the closure of Richard Dunn centre and the construction of the new £17.5m Sedbergh Leisure Centre.

The centre, on the Sedbergh Recreation Ground a short distance from Richard Dunn, will include a 25m, six lane swimming pool, 12m x 8m Activity Pool, studios, a gym, eight court sports hall and three outdoor pitches.

The Richard Dunn centre will be closed and demolished once Sedbergh is opened.

The scheme will be discussed by the Council's Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee next Thursday.

A report to the committee reveals that there will be a “soft launch” of the new centre next month, with an official opening later in October or early November.

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Talking about the grand opening, the report says: “In order to ensure that the facility opens smoothly and all teething problems are dealt with, a phased approach to opening will be implemented in the days and weeks prior to this where gym members will be granted access to the building, and other facilities opened to select groups of users.”

Bradford Council is currently marketing the Richard Dunn site.

Committee members will be told that the final stages of work are now taking place at Sedbergh including painting, line marking and equipment installation.

They will also hear that the centre is expected to be completed on budget.

The report adds: "The facility has been designed to operate in a sustainable way, both financially and environmentally and much of the design and engineering within the facility reflects this.

"Significant reductions in carbon emissions will be achieved by closing inefficient and energy hungry buildings and replacing them with modern buildings designed with sustainable building principles and practices."

The meeting will take place in City Hall at 6pm and Thursday September 19.