AN inner city community facility that has been plagued by vandalism will get a major upgrade.

BEAP Community Partnership provides services for the Manningham community, and offers activities and sports from it’s base on Cornwall Road - in the shadow of Bradford City’s Valley Parade grounds.

But the centre is in need of an upgrade, with its base described as “unattractive” and its tarmacadam sports pitch described as “not useable.”

A planning application to expand and refurbish the building, as well as provide new sports facilities including a 3G pitch, have been approved by Bradford Council.

The application, which includes new changing rooms, the internal refurbishment of the sports hall and a new entrance onto Midland Road, was submitted in August and described the existing building as “utilitarian in nature and unattractive in appearance.”

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It added: “The refreshed sports hall will inject new life into what is currently an ageing and lack lustre dry sports provision.”

The outdoor area will have a 3G, all weather pitch installed, allowing for a wider variety of sports, new floodlights and improved fencing.

The application has now been approved by planning officers, who agreed that the refurbishment would make the area more vibrant.

They said when they visited the centre, broken glass had been strewn across the sports area.

Approving the scheme, planning officers said: “The sports centre is well-used but is in need of refurbishment.

“The proposed two storey extension will improve the building and its usability by creating a more obvious entry point and creating an open and light foyer.

“The elevation design of this extension facing towards Midland Road is a welcome addition to the street scene and would have a significantly beneficial impact on the building as a whole.

“It would improve the building and alter it from a relatively numb building to one that has a street side presence that would benefit the wider locality.”

Referring to the outdoor sports facilities, officers said: “The outdoor sports area is presently in a poor state and is not useable as a sports pitch and appears to be suffering from vandalism.

“Broken glass was evident on the pitch at the time of the case officer’s site visit.

“The poor state of the current sports pitch has led to some antisocial behaviour and it is considered that it would be beneficial to the area if the pitch were in regular use.

“A 3G pitch is much more useable than a concrete one and the proposed floodlighting is technologically more advanced than the current lighting arrangement.

“The improvements to the sports centre and outdoor sports pitch would help meet the aims of the National Planning Policy Framework by health and improving sports facilities that serve the local community.

“The poor state of the current sports pitch has led to some antisocial behaviour and it is considered that it would be beneficial to the area if the pitch were in regular use.”

One condition of the approval is that the outdoor facilities and floodlights are only used between 8am and 10pm.