Outcry Grows as Public Demand Reopening of Dewsbury Sports Centre
More than 75 residents braved torrential rain on Sunday, 20 July, to attend a packed public meeting demanding the reopening of Dewsbury Sports Centre. The powerful show of support demonstrated the strength of local feeling — and mounting anger at what many see as years of neglect and mismanagement by Kirklees Council.
Held at Thornhill Lees Community Centre, the meeting featured a panel chaired by local campaigner Mike Foster, alongside fellow campaigner Surraya Patel and Iqbal Mohamed, MP for Dewsbury and Batley. The audience responded with shock, disbelief, and frustration as the panel laid bare the extent of political ambiguity and financial inconsistency surrounding the centre’s closure.
A major flashpoint came when it was revealed that Kirklees Council had claimed the nearest alternative leisure facility was “just 12 minutes away” — a statement met with audible disbelief from the room. The situation was further inflamed by reports that council officials had refused to meet with campaigners in person, reportedly stating they didn’t want to “traipse over to Dewsbury.”
Iqbal Mohamed MP
One of the most explosive moments of the evening came when MP Iqbal Mohamed directly challenged what he described as false claims made by council members, including the assertion that the centre lies outside the Dewsbury Town Board boundary. “This is the Dewsbury Town Board — surely it should be acting in Dewsbury’s best interests,” he said, calling the claim that the centre sits 25 metres outside the boundary “absurd and insulting.”
The MP also revealed that he presented a motion to the Dewsbury Town Board requesting funding for an independent, intrusive structural survey. A crucial step in understanding the true cost of reopening the facility. “Not a single Board member was willing to second my motion, meaning it couldn’t even be brought to a vote. That tells you everything you need to know about their commitment to this community,” he told attendees.
In Westminster, the MP confirmed he has raised the matter multiple times in the House of Commons and held a meeting with the Minister for Public Safety to formally request government funding for a detailed, independent survey. “I am still awaiting a reply from the Minister,” he added. “But make no mistake, I am pursuing every possible route to uncover the facts and secure a solution.”
Financial concerns also dominated the meeting. “The centre received 12 months of operational funding — yet it closed within six months,” said Mohamed. “Where has that money gone? Taxpayers deserve answers, not silence.”
Campaigner Surraya Patel criticised the council’s lack of transparency around costings. Early figures suggested reopening the ‘dry side’ of the sports centre would cost £350,000. Now, the council claims it would cost £10 million — without ever having shared a full survey or detailed breakdown. “The numbers have been changing without explanation,” she said. “It’s either gross incompetence or deliberate obstruction.”
Concerns were also raised over the illogical and inconsistent messaging from council members. Campaigners highlighted a recent comment from Cllr Bev Addy, who claimed that Dewsbury Sports Centre “did nothing to improve the health of Dewsbury residents” — a statement directly at odds with her support for the centre in her own Colne Valley constituency. “It’s one rule for Dewsbury, and another for everywhere else,” said one resident. “We won’t stand for it.”
Baroness Kath Pinnock addressed wider issues of inequality in investment across the district. £300 million for Huddersfield alone has been allocated; the lion’s share. Where is our share? Only a small share of that to come into Dewsbury would provide a new swimming pool.
“This kind of disproportionate behaviour doesn’t just need challenging — it demands a change in leadership,” said Baroness Pinnock. She called on residents to apply political pressure through the Dewsbury Town Board and, more critically, during the council budget vote in May 2026, when every local councillor will be up for re-election.
She proposed a cross-party alliance of Liberal Democrat, Independent, and Green councillors to oppose and potentially overthrow the Labour-led budget unless Dewsbury receives the investment and attention it deserves.
Independent councillors from Dewsbury and Batley, attended in solidarity with the campaign. In sharp contrast, not a single Labour councillor was present — including Labour councillors representing Dewsbury and Batley wards, despite being invited. Their absence was noted by both the panel and the public as yet another sign of disregard for the town and its residents.
The meeting closed with a renewed sense of purpose and unity. Campaigners confirmed they are now actively exploring the launch of a formal public inquiry into Kirklees Council’s handling of the sports centre closure, decision-making processes, and broader funding disparities across the district.
Surraya Patel - campaign organiser