The Stadium Health & Fitness Club at the John Smith’s Stadium will close permanently on Thursday November 30.

Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL), which runs sports and leisure centres on behalf of Kirklees Council, told staff on Thursday morning and emails have been sent to members.

KAL has given just a week’s notice of the closure, leaving youngsters with swimming lessons booked having to find alternative venues.

Crisis-hit KAL wanted to move its head office from the stadium and Kirklees Council was involved because of complex lease issues which also impact on the finances of the stadium itself.

The council provided KAL with £6.1 million in funding this year but that drops to £2.55 million next year due to the council’s own precarious financial position.

The council has said only two leisure centres in Kirklees are safe – Huddersfield Leisure Centre and Spen Valley Leisure Centre in Cleckheaton – and a review is underway.

Public consultation has closed and the council is sifting through 18,000 responses with a final decision on which centres will close to be made in December. A report is due to be published on December 4.

Kirklees Council sets the date for when we’ll know which leisure centres face the axe

In a statement, KAL says: “KAL operates the Stadium Health & Fitness Club on a commercial lease basis, with significant rental and service charge costs to Kirklees Stadium Development Limited (KSDL), the overall operator of the John Smith’s Stadium site, being a major factor for the facility operating at a substantial loss.

“Unfortunately, this position is no longer sustainable for the charity, and, to allow KAL to decant the Stadium site, it is with significant regret that KAL must inform customers that the Stadium Health & Fitness Club will close permanently on Thursday 30th November 2023.

“KAL absolutely appreciate that customers will be disappointed with this outcome, however the extremely challenging financial circumstances and high rental/service charge costs at the stadium site give KAL no alternative but to sadly end our lease at the facility.”

Huddersfield Town were said to be looking at whether they could take on the stadium gym and keep it open.

KAL says all members will have received an email. If you did not receive an email contact KAL’s Customer Service Team on contact.centre@kal.org.uk.

Kirklees Council challenged again over claims millions of pounds have been written off over John Smith’s Stadium