THE soon-to-open Sedbergh Leisure Centre has been described by a Councillor as the “best piece of public realm construction” in Bradford for years.

The leisure centre, off Huddersfield Road, is due to open late next month or early November, and will replace the nearby Richard Dunn sports centre.

Members of Bradford Council’s Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee were given an update on the centre’s progress at a meeting on Thursday evening. They praised the Sedbergh project, but one member said there were “mixed feelings” about the loss of Richard Dunn, and that he was regularly “fending off rumours” about the future of the site.

The £17.5m Sedbergh Leisure Centre 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 nearby Richard Dunn Centre will be demolished once the centre is up and running.

Andy Ross, project manager, told members that there were three or four weeks’ work left to do at Sedbergh before it was handed over to the Council.

He said the building project had gone smoothly, and there had been very few unforeseen issues.

Richard Dunn gym users would be among the first people to try out the new facilities as services are transferred to Sedbergh.

Members were told that Sedbergh will lead to “significant” savings for the Council, as it was much more environmentally friendly and cheap to heat than Richard Dunn.

He added: “With Richard Dunn we are heating that vast space above all the facilities.”

Councillor Martin Love, (Green, Shipley) pointed out that Richard Dunn was considered one of the most energy inefficient buildings in Yorkshire

Councillor Ralph Berry (Lab, Wibsey) said that while many people had fond memories of Richard Dunn, the new sports centre was superior.

He said: “This is a massive upgrade of facilities.

“As much as people liked Richard Dunn, it wasn’t a proper swimming pool. For that to had to go to Spenborough.

“This will be a proper swimming pool with much better sports and gym facilities. It also has outdoor pitches. It is a massive, massive improvement.”

He went on to describe Sedbergh as the “best piece of public realm construction in the city for many years.”

He said in his ward, which includes the Richard Dunn site, there were “a lot of mixed feelings” about the closure of the facility.

He added: “I’m constantly fending off rumours about the site and what is planned for it.”

Cllr Berry pointed out that some of his constituents lived close to the Richard Dunn site and Odsal Stadium, both of which have uncertain futures.

Bradford Council is currently marketing the Richard Dunn site.

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Executive for Regeneration, Planning and Transport said he had recently signed off on the demolition process for Richard Dunn.