Richard Dunn: Could building find new life a skate centre?

The Richard Dunn Sports Centre has stood empty for almost five years after shutting in late 2019.

Now the 20th Century Society – a group dedicated to protecting the country’s post-war buildings, has drawn up an ambitious plan they say could secure the future of the domed landmark.

The group has proposed that the centre be re-opened as a skate park, with facilities for other “action sports” such as BMX, scooter, parkour, and bouldering.

The proposals have been passed on to Bradford Council, which owns the site, to consider as a possible use for the redundant building.

However, the work is just a proposal at this stage, with no clear funding sources as yet.

The 20th Century Society hit the headlines in 2022 when its bid to have the centre – due to be demolished later that year – listed was approved by Historic England.

The building was described as a “bold and accomplished design for a 1970s local leisure” and the listing protected it from demolition.

The centre was closed when the nearby Sedbergh Leisure Centre opened in 2019. Bradford Council said Richard Dunn cost too much to maintain, with the building’s cavernous roof meaning heating bills were amongst the highest of any building in Yorkshire.

Since the listing the building has remained vacant, with no serious plans for its future, although part of the site has been earmarked for a potential park-and-ride scheme.

The site is currently being used as a filming location for a sequel in the 28 Days Later zombie film franchise.

The 20th Century Society has now worked with Ian Chalk Architects to draw up a design that would bring the building, and wider site, back to life.

It has today revealed plans to turn the building into the UK’s only Olympic-level skate arena.

Although the society has drawn up the proposals, the plans would be for another body - be it Bradford Council or another body, to implement the plans.

When the building was listed, the Telegraph & Argus asked readers what they would like to see done with the huge building.

A skate park was by far the most popular response.

The proposals by the 20th Century Society say: “The UK currently has no permanent Olympic-level skate arena that combines Street and Park style courses (each providing different skating terrains and obstacles) with adequate spectator and competitor facilities.

“Bradford has the potential to provide all of these, housed under the iconic ‘big top’ of the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre – rebranded as ‘The Dunn’.

Richard Dunn Centre - Image 20th Century Society and Jonathan Taylor (Image: 20th Century Society)

“Our radical vision for The Dunn would adaptively reuse the spaces currently occupied by the empty leisure pool, flumes and former sports hall, by inserting a unique indoor/outdoor skating arena.

“This would include a 555sqm concrete ‘park style’ concrete bowl that follows the contours of the original leisure pool, and a 1,475sqm ‘street style’ arena that transitions from the indoor sports hall area to a new outdoor course.

“Other areas would be repurposed with climbing walls, a café and studio suites, to create a versatile new multiuse facility within the existing building.”

Catherine Croft, director of Twentieth Century Society, added: “With City of Culture 2025 on the horizon, there’s a real buzz around Bradford at the moment.

“In the former Richard Dunn centre, you have a genuine landmark building, woven into the social and sporting heritage of the city – robust and unique, yet currently empty, unused and a target for vandalism.

“C20’s proposals for The Dunn show how, with imagination and vision, extraordinary listed buildings like this can be radically yet respectfully reinvented.

“If realised, they would help write an exciting new chapter for the centre, show Bradford leading the way with environmentally responsible development, and offer young people opportunity and fulfilment through sport. All while becoming a genuine world-first facility for skateboarding and urban sports, underneath that fabulous listed 1970s roof structure.”

Neil Ellis, from Skateboard GB, said: “The Richard Dunn Centre proposal is very exciting and would become the only Olympic standard facility in the UK and the only indoor facility in the world to house an Olympic-sized park and street course.

"This would have a huge benefit to British skateboarders looking to aim to compete on an international level, as well as providing an amazing facility for people in the local community.”

Si Cunningham, chair of Bradford Civic Society, said: “This is a really imaginative proposal and C20 have clearly put a lot of thought into it, although it’s not immediately obvious how such an ambitious scheme could be funded in the current climate.

“I think a national skate facility being based in Bradford makes a lot of sense and is an excellent idea, and indeed if it were in the local authority’s gift to do it at Richard Dunn it could be an awesome scheme.

“Unfortunately I fear there may be a struggle to make this site financially viable in its current state, and it may be that alternative plans linked to local transport needs are already very well advanced.

“Regardless, it’s an eye-catching idea that will get people talking, and we always welcome national bodies like C20 taking an interest in Bradford.”