Council refuses demolition of empty leisure centre
Paul NorrisA council has said it requires more information before it can approve the demolition of an abandoned leisure centre.
Plans have been put forward to flatten the former Spectrum Leisure Complex in Willington, County Durham, in order to clear the site for future development.
The facility has stood empty since August 2024 and was later damaged in an arson attack and through repeated anti-social behaviour.
Durham County Council said it needed to know more about how the demolition would impact protected species and trees in the area before the work could be approved.
The leisure centre opened in 1982 and previously had a dry ski slope, which was ceremoniously opened by Franz Klammer – the then reigning downhill world champion.
A BMX track was later built after the site was saved from closure by Ian and Alison Hirst, who formed the SLAM Community Development Trust, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
It closed when the company in charge of the site was issued a winding-up order and SLAM said the closure was due to circumstances "beyond its control".
A planning report states the building is of no historic or aesthetic value.
Documents submitted as part of the proposal said the scheme would "ensure the site would be left in a clean and tidy state in preparation for potential future redevelopment".
But the local authority refused prior approval for the work as "insufficient information" had been provided.