BLUEPRINTS for a new community swimming pool to replace Bradford’s Richard Dunn sports centre have been unanimously approved by a planning committee.

But the scheme has left some locals claiming Bradford Council has made a big mistake.

Under the plans, a new £17.5m swimming and sports facility will be built at Sedbergh playing fields near Odsal, with construction expected to be complete by the end of 2018.

Bradford Council will then close Richard Dunn - a 1970s building which bosses have described as a ‘black hole’ in the authority’s finances because of its poor energy efficiency and maintenance backlog.

But while the new facility will have a 25m pool, learner pool, sports hall, studios and outdoor pitches, there will be no direct replacement for some of Richard Dunn’s facilities, including its popular Jungle adventure pool.

At a meeting of the Council’s Regulatory and Appeals committee yesterday, legal advisor Robert Wade told the committee that they had to consider only relevant planning matters, not the merits or otherwise of replacing the Richard Dunn centre.

Ward councillor Sarah Ferriby (Lab, Wyke), who is also the executive member responsible for sport, said she was fully behind the scheme.

She said: “This facility is much needed to replace the the old and outdated facilities at Richard Dunn.”

But local resident Lindsey Hodges, whose home at McMillan Gardens will be near the new-build centre, spoke in opposition to the plans.

She said the area was already an accident hotspot and more traffic on the roads would make it worse.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to wants Richard Dunn to be refurbished,” she said.

She said she was also worried about the sports pitches being used until 11pm on lighter summer nights, saying noise from players could disturb nearby residents.

Senior planner Malcolm Joy said: “It’s an open field at the moment. People can go on there and spend all night on there if they want.”

And John Rowley, Bradford Council’s principal highways engineer, said the last accident recorded was in 2010.

The plans were passed unanimously.

Afterwards, Miss Hodges said she disputed the Council’s accident statistics and had serious doubts about the business plan behind the shake-up.

She said: “They reckon they’re going to make profit from it because there will be more visitors. But there are fewer facilities, why are they going to get more visitors?”

Julie Hyland, of nearby Belmont Rise, added: “We are not saying we don’t want a facility. We are saying, just do it on the original site. Keep it where it is.”