Bosses at a Bradford college are hoping to land £2 million lottery cash to create a new sports centre to be shared by students and local residents.

A site at Laisteridge Lane has been earmarked for the new sports centre - which would be open to the public for half its sessions.

Bradford and Ilkley Community College wants to build a new complex near its McMillan Building, with a large sports hall, small activities hall, fitness suite/gym and aerobics studio.

Some sessions would be student-only, but the centre would welcome members of the public for 40 hours a week out of a total of 85 hours.

Hayley Fitzgerald, who is helping to prepare the Lottery bid for the college, said: "One of the advantages of this site is that it is within walking distance for a lot of local residents.

"The college recognises that sports provision for the community is limited. This facility is certainly not just for students - the college is a community college, it wants to further develop that ethos of providing for the community. We know that a lot of local people are from low-income families, and our pricing strategy would reflect that.

"There is a lot more work to be done and it will take another year before we put in our bid - the building work would take place after the Millennium."

She said talks were under way with Bradford Council's recreation division to see if members of the Passport to Leisure scheme would be able to use the centre at cheaper rates, like they do in council leisure centres.

Local people are being consulted to see what kind of facilities they would like.

Carole Kerrigan of the Cabins on the Canterbury estate, said: "I hope there will be enough room for members of the the community to use the centre - I worry it might become full of students."

Bill Reed, assistant area co-ordinator for Bradford West area panel, Bradford Council, said: "There's a lot of interest in this project and we will continue to talk to the college."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.