COMMUNITY leaders in Otley have hit out after a £1.6m lottery bid for improved sports facilities was rejected in a damning report this week.

Sport England Lottery Fund threw out ambitious plans for major improvements to the public Chippendale Pool and to the sports hall at Prince Henry's Grammar School in Farnley Lane. It would also have meant the building of an additional car park, a reception area, fitness suite and synthetic all-weather pitch at the school.

The decision has incensed Otley Town Mayor John Eveleigh and disappointed Otley Sports Council chairman John Morgan. For the rejection of the bid could throw the future of the rundown swimming pool - the only facility of its kind in Otley - into doubt.

Amongst other things, the damning report highlights:

l A "lack of committed support from the community, significant partners, potential users, clubs and governing bodies."

l Concerns over the project's value for money, sustainability, long-term viability and anomalies in the business plan.

l Sports development plans in the bid were 'weak' and overall the proposals lacked focus, providing inadequate evidence of working partnerships and failing to provide specific sports development.

l Recent independent reports highlighting lack of maintenance at the pool.

l The report said that the PE Department office space and spectator seating had little sports development value and that the car and coach parking was excessive.

Leeds City Council paid professionals Strategic Leisure more than £27,000 to work with the schools, the town council and sports organisations to formulate the final lottery bid.

Now Coun Eveleigh (Lab, Otley and Wharfedale) has launched a petition to demonstrate Otley's support and is urging Sports England to reconsider its decision.

Coun Eveleigh said it was 'absolutely outrageous' to question Otley people's support for the scheme and said that there would be an appeal.

He said: "To say that the community is not committed to the bid is a massive slur on Otley's reputation.

"Throughout the whole process, the Leisure Services Department of Leeds City Council has worked very closely with the school, Otley Town Council, Otley Sports Council and with local residents.

"The whole town is behind the need for a sports centre and for the report to suggest that the scheme is unviable and lacks long-term sustainability is absurd."

He added that Sport England had made some 'serious errors' in their report and accused their officers of not being thorough enough.

Town councillor Colin Campbell (Liberal Democrat) said the decision was 'an absolute disaster' for Otley.

"It is a damning comment on the bid which cost tax-payers so much money. Somebody, somewhere must be responsible for this. We are now left with a facility which is Third World quality. It is now up to Leeds to come up with some money to improve the facilities."

Mr Morgan called for a meeting between himself, the town council, city councillors and Strategic Leisure about the decision, which he described as a travesty.

"If that is unsuccessful, Leeds will have to put some money into it, otherwise that pool will shut," he added. "Some of the reasons for refusal seem spurious but the only other conclusion I can reach about this business is that it wasn't a very good application."

Sport England was unavailable for comment.

p Copies of the petition can be obtained from Town Clerk Les Cross at the Civic Centre, or from reception at Wharfedale Observer in Orchard Gate.

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