Wilson Sports Village Hyndburn row over centre naming

It comes after a senior Hyndburn Conservative said the leisure centre at Wilson Sports Village should have been named after one of the European Championships-winning Lionesses, not a former Labour councillor.

The dispute arose at Hyndburn Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday as it approved naming the leisure centre at the Clayton-le-Moors sports hub after former Mayor of Hyndburn and long-serving councillor for the township, Cath Thom.

Conservative group leader Cllr Zak Khan said: “I am disappointed we are going to name it after a Labour politician. Very disappointed.

Cath Thom, pictured during her mayoral year (Image: NQ) “Could we not have picked someone more appropriate and not a politician, for example, a Lioness?"

Cllr Khan said he would have preferred naming it after Euro 2025 heroine Chloe Kelly, despite her being from West London and having no links to Hyndburn.

Borough Labour leader Cllr Munsif Dad accused  CllrKhan of being ‘disrespectful’ and said the late Cllr Thom, who represented Clayton-le-Moors for 16 years as a borough and county councillor and in 1992 was Mayor of Hyndburn, was the ideal choice.

He was backed by culture and sport boss Cllr Kimberley Whitehead and town centres boss Cllr Clare Pritchard, who said the choice was a suitable tribute to ‘a formidable woman’ who had done a great deal for the township and the borough.

Chloe Kelly scoring the winning penalty at Euro 2025 (Image: Peter Byrne) After the meeting, Cllr Khan said: “I would name it after one of the Lionesses - Chloe Kelly.

"A fitting tribute to their spectacular victory on Sunday, defending their title and doing our country proud.

"They are inspiring young girls to get involved in sport and setting their sights high.

"Wilson’s is being built for the next generations, and I think it would be fitting to use the naming of our new state-of-the-art sports centre to send a message to the young people of our borough.”

Kelly, who took on a super-sub role scoring crucial goals in the semi-final and the winning penalty in the final's shoot-out against Spain, is from Ealing in London and has played at Everton, Manchester City, and Arsenal, and has no known links to Hyndburn.

The sports centre is due to open in October (Image: Hyndburn Council) Cllr Dad said: “The Cath Thom Leisure Centre will be the focal point of Wilson Sports Village.

"It will be a lasting tribute to someone who gave so much to our borough, and I’m delighted to see it nearing completion.”

The new name was moved by the authority’s deputy leader, Cllr Melissa Fisher, as she gave an update on the progress of the project.

The development was originally controversial and opposed by local residents and by Labour councillors over the associated permanent closure of the swimming pool in the township's Mercer Hall.

It was dubbed a vanity project of former council leader Miles Parkinson, but after winning control of the borough last Spring, Labour has backed the development.

Then in September 2024 main building contractor ISG went into administration with the scheme part-built, and a new firm, Universal Civils and Build, was found to complete the contract.

This involved demolishing an existing clubhouse and replacing it with a new sports centre accommodating a four-lane 25-metre swimming pool, a fitness suite, sauna and steam room, group exercise studio, cafe, large changing rooms, and dedicated changing facilities for teams using its outdoor sports fields.

Cllr Fisher said construction was due to finish on September 19, 10 working days later than originally scheduled, with operator Hyndburn Leisure opening it to the public on October 10.

 The building is now in its final stages, with internal finishes, pool tiling, and external works nearing completion.  

The latest forecast indicates a one per cent increase on the approved budget, with a projected overspend of £128,000.  

Cllr Fisher said: “I’m excited to see the progress that has been made at Wilson Sports Village. This is a huge project.

“It is clear that this will be a fantastic facility for our residents.

“Naming the centre in Cath’s honour is a lasting tribute to someone who gave so much to the town she loved. “

Cllr Thom, also an Honorary Alderman of Hyndburn Borough, died in 2019 aged 91.

Hyndburn sportspeople who could have been considered for the centre include cricket legend David 'Bumble Lloyd, hockey player who earned 149 caps for England Val Robinson, or cyclist Alan Ramsbottom.