A Sheffield sports centre, closed for years, could re-open

A Sheffield sports centre, closed for years, could re-open. The Derek Dooley Sports and Community Centre, in Crookes, closed during lockdown

Transcript

00:00A well-known Sheffield Sports Centre could reopen, years after it was last used.

00:05The Derek Dooley Sports and Community Centre on Western View, Crookes, has not been used

00:10since it closed during lockdown, but now Sheffield United, who operated the venue, say they want

00:16to bring it back into use, but they have warned that it can only viably happen if they can

00:21install floodlights.

00:23The centre consists of an all-weather sports pitch and a building that has been used as

00:29a gym.

00:30When the venue had applied for permission to install floodlights in the past, people

00:34living nearby have objected.

00:37Now another planning application to build floodlights has been filed with Sheffield

00:40Council and the club says it would use new LED lights that direct light more directly

00:47onto the playing areas, so it would have less impact on neighbours than lights previously

00:51planned and they would be switched off at 10pm.

00:55Sheffield United state that the only way that the site will be viable is with floodlighting

01:00to enable the pitches to be used in the evening, but two objections have been made by neighbours

01:04citing noise and concerns for wildlife.