THE 30-year wait for a sport and leisure centre at Malton ended in failure last night when Ryedale District Council decided by 15 votes to 13 to veto the scheme, which had been earmarked for the grounds of Malton School.

Around 150 sport enthusiasts, many of them youngsters, packed the council chamber at Ryedale House after greeting councillors with placards urging them to support the venture.

Before the debate started the school head, Rob Williams, told the council: "This is an opportunity for joined up thinking."

He added that with the facility the school, and Malton, could have "a real centre of excellence".

But the council leader, Coun Keith Knaggs, stunned the meeting when he moved an amendment to the policy committee recommendation, saying that the project should not go ahead.

He said the provision of affordable homes and job creation through the proposed enterprise and innovation centre planned as part of the Science Park at Old Malton, should be the priorities.

Coun Knaggs believed that an astro-turf pitch, which the school has offered to fund up to £250,000, could be a viable scheme which the council could support.

A range of smaller projects could also be carried through by the council.

But Lib-Dem leader Coun Howard Keal retorted in a heated debate that affordable housing plans by the leading Conservative group was "a smokescreen" because it would be provided through the council stipulating that 40 per cent of all new housing developments had to be low cost homes.

"We have £8 million in balances and we should use it," he said.

Other councillors argued that it was wrong that up to 50 per cent of the reserves could be used for the building of the centre.

The innovation centre would involve £1.25 million of council money but would generate more than £5 million.

Coun Paul Andrews said: "It is a lie that only Malton people want this sports centre. I believe people in the rest of Ryedale are in favour of it."

It was, he added, the last opportunity to get the sports centre built. "If it doesn't go ahead the Conservatives will be remembered for it."

The council approved the scheme to spend money in its capital programme on the enterprise centre.

* For the full reaction to the story see Wednesday's Gazette & Herald.

10:34am Friday 18th January 2008

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