Town's new sports hall to 'expand opportunities'

Plans for a new indoor sports facility will "expand opportunities" for young people, a council leader says.

West Northamptonshire Council will use £700,000 of Section 106 funding from housing developers to help deliver the £1.2m facility at King's Park in Northampton.

The purpose-built sports hall will be known as the Sunley Centre and be connected to an existing King's Park tennis centre.

Mark Arnull, leader of the Reform UK-controlled council, said the centre "has the potential to engage thousands more young people each year".

Section 106 funding is money developers pay to local councils, as a condition of planning permission, to mitigate the impact of new developments on communities.

The council said an allocation of its Section 106 funding had previously been earmarked for an "Indoor Sports Hall and Courts Contribution".

Following a formal application to the council, West Northants approved the funding on 2 February, enabling the project to move forward.

The 20m x 25m sports hall will also offer venue space for up to 400 people, with proposed activities to include martial arts, taekwondo, pickleball, trampoline fitness, dance classes and mini tennis.

However, there is currently no confirmed timeline for construction.

John Whittaker, chief executive of Northamptonshire Association of Youth Clubs, said the project was a vision for a "truly world-class facility that inspires more than 2,000 young people each week".

He said: "King's Park currently consists of Benham Sports Centre and Indoor Tennis Centre, but it's far more than a sports centre.

"It's a place where friendships are made, challenges are overcome, and young people's lives are changed forever.

"And yet too many young people are missing out. The [new] facility will change lives for decades to come."

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