YORK’S sports scene could be dealt a crushing blow as an £800,000 centre used by children, students and local teams may be forced to close.

The University of York has applied for a ten-year extension to allow the huge sports “tent” at its Heslington West campus, originally designed as a temporary facility, to continue operating.

But City of York Council planners say the request should be turned down.

This would hit five-a-side football, basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton teams, York Student Union clubs, community organisations and Fulford School, who all use the centre.

The university gained permission in 2005 to run the hall until July this year, intending to have a permanent replacement ready by then, but the lack of a new centre means the tent-like structure is still needed to meet demand for indoor sports facilities.

However, the council’s east area planning sub-committee has been recommended to refuse the request to keep it open until July 2020 when it meets next week.

“Temporary planning permission was granted because the applicant specifically volunteered that intention and because it was expected the planning circumstances would have changed at the end of the five-year period and a replacement permanent sports hall would have been constructed,” said a report on the proposal.

“However, the university appears at this stage to have no firm plans for a replacement despite the continuing need for a sports hall at Heslington West. This uncertainty is insufficient reason to justify extending the planning permission by ten years.”

Officers also said the centre’s appearance was “adequate for a limited time”, but continuing its use would have “an unacceptable impact on the character and appearance of the area”.

O’Neill Associates, the university’s planning agents, said up to 46 different groups used the centre, which, during peak term-time periods, was virtually full. A spokesman for the firm said: “If the facilities were removed, there would be no scope to accommodate the current level of use at the facilities and the existing user groups elsewhere on the university campus or in the surrounding area.

“It would lead to a significant deficit in the provision of indoor sports facilities at the university, in the surrounding area and throughout the city.”

Although the deadline for the centre’s operation expired on July 14, it will remain open until the outcome of the extension request. The university did not want to comment ahead of the meeting.


Centre is ‘essential lifeline’

THE under-threat University of York sports centre has been described as “an essential lifeline” by a local school which stages PE lessons there.

Steve Smith, executive head teacher of Fulford School, has written to City of York Council backing the request for the hall to stay open for another decade, and said its closure would leave pupils with no alternative venue.

He said: “As a school of more than 1,300 students and with no sports hall provision on site, we rely heavily on this facility.

“We use this facility on a regular basis and with a range of teaching groups. We have no alternative position to fall back on if this were to be removed.

“While we do have a range of outdoor pitches, these suffer from inadequate drainage and this, plus our lack of indoor facilities, means we rely heavily on the university all year round, but even more so in inclement weather.

“At this time, there is no timescale for us to be able to proceed with our own wish to build our own sports hall due to the current economic climate and the lack of progress with the Germany Beck development.”

Sport England said the centre “serves a significant local demand for indoor hall sports”, while the university’s planning agents, O’Neill Associates, has claimed its closure would create a shortage of badminton courts in York.

A spokesman for the firm said: “The removal of the facilities would reduce the level of sports provision the university is able to offer current and prospective students and would be detrimental to the overall student experience.”