Sports village decision faces more delays

Aug 29 2008 by Neil McKay, The Journal

LONG-suffering residents of a former steel town, who were promised a new sports complex 28 years ago, will have to wait a little longer.

Although Derwentside District Council approved a scheme for a £15m “sports village” recently, the authority will be abolished under local government re-organisation next year.

The original plans included a ski slope and 6,000-seater football stadium, but had to be scaled down because of a shortage of funds.

And yesterday, Durham County Councillors, who will take over local government when they become a new unitary authority in April, decided they needed to take a closer look at the most recent proposals, which include a swimming pool, football pitches and sports halls. Durham County Council Leader Simon Henig admitted that the project has been “a long time in the making,” but added: “To be fair, that is down to Derwentside District Council, not us.”

Speaking at a meeting of the authority’s Cabinet yesterday, he added: “This is the first time that we have had a report of this nature and in this detail.

“If it has taken Derwentside five years to get to this stage, why should this council be expected to push it through ‘on the nod’.

“It would be entirely wrong of us, for the sake of a few thousand pounds and a few weeks’ work, not to take the prudent step of looking at it more closely.

“We have to look at this sort of project from our new viewpoint as unitary councillors-elect and consider the impact it could have on council taxpayers right across County Durham, not just those in Derwentside.”

But Derwentside District Council leader Alex Watson argued: “What is needed now is a swift and positive decision to go ahead with the project because any delay will only increase costs at a time when the economy is going into recession.”