Wakefield Council approves £10m Kellingley Social Club revamp

Kellingley Social Club, in Knottingley, is to become a community hub

Plans to spend more than £10m on revamping a social club in West Yorkshire have been approved.

Wakefield Council said it would invest in a community hub on the site of Kellingley Social Club, in Knottingley, when it met earlier this month.

Leader Denise Jeffery acknowledged it was "a massive amount" to invest, but added: "Knottingley hasn't had facilities for some time."

One ward councillor branded the plans "outrageous".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Knottingley Community Hub will be created at the "dilapidated" site.

The new facility will play host to sports, youth clubs and community groups, while a job centre and Citizens Advice bureau will also be based there.

The full cost of the project is estimated to be £10.7m, mainly due to the poor condition of the building.

But a council report states that over "an anticipated asset life of 25 years" the total cost to the local authority will be around £17.1m.

'Heart of the community'

Ms Jeffery set out why Knottingley needs new facilities.

She said: "They have lost a swimming pool and the library, and this is putting something back. This can be a real community hub with sporting facilities.

"The sports pavilion will really be at the heart of the community. It is something that is needed in Knottingley."

Knottingley's three Lib Dem ward councillors have long been opposed to the scheme by the Labour-run council.

Ms Jeffery said people now needed to "get behind" the plans and "make it work for the community they represent".

Councillor Adele Hayes said: "It is disappointing to see that the Labour leadership wilfully ignored local elected members' and local residents' wishes."

She suggested the money would be better spent "supporting Knottingley Town Hall and Ferrybridge Community Centre", adding there would be cash left over to rebuild the town's leisure centre.

Ms Hayes added: "Labour's plans at the Kellingley Club will cost the equivalent of £2,630 to every household in Knottingley and Ferrybridge. This is outrageous. Residents should be asking for a refund."