THE six month process of demolishing Bradford’s iconic Richard Dunn Leisure Centre will begin next month.

By the time the work starts, the cavernous domed building will have been shut as a leisure centre for almost two years.

Named after the Bradford born boxer famed for fighting Muhammad Ali, the Richard Dunn centre in Odsal shut its doors in November 2019 - coinciding with the opening of the nearby £17.5m Sedbergh Leisure Centre complex.

The original plans were for the demolition of Bradford Council owned Richard Dunn to begin in early Summer 2020.

However, shortly after this announcement the Covid 19 pandemic began.

It was then that a new use was found for the building - a standby morgue should existing facilities in the district become overwhelmed.

Although this use was thankfully never needed, the site was put to use during the pandemic as a drive through Covid-19 testing centre and an “electrostatic biocide spraying station” for vehicles to be sanitised to prevent the spread of the virus.

However, yesterday the Council announced that with the Covid related uses of the site now being “scaled back” - the demolition process was scheduled to begin in October.

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The Council plans to keep the 6.8 hectare site, saying it was a “strategic site for the District.”

In June the Council told the Telegraph & Argus that the site would most likely be designated as “employment use” although there were as yet no firm plans for its future.

Until a permanent use was found it would act as an overflow car park for neighbouring Odsal Stadium, once again home to Bradford Bulls as well as stock car events.

Built in 1978, the centre was popular with generations of Bradfordians, with its water slides being particularly popular with the city’s young swimmers.

The building was also the site of numerous political bombshells - as its use for the vote counts in local elections saw the beginning and ending of the careers of many local politicians.

But Council says the concrete building had its problems. Due to its size and design, maintenance and repair works would have been a huge strain on the public purse.

And the design, with a huge domed roof, meant it was one of the most energy inefficient buildings in West Yorkshire.

A Council spokesman said: “Demolition of the building will commence in late October and is schedule to be completed by April/May 2022.

“Following the opening of Sedbergh, the Richard Dunn building was due to be demolished, but this was put on hold to allow the building and site to be used for a variety of purposes in the fight against the pandemic. Now that the risk of the virus is receding the building will be demolished.

“The Council is considering potential future uses for this strategic site for the district.

“Further communications on this will follow in due course.”

The Council’s original plan was to sell the Richard Dunn site, and in 2018 the authority claimed the site could be “one of the most significant retail developments in West Yorkshire.”