PLANS for a £3.5m sports centre in Malton are in the balance as councillors are split over whether to agree to it.

Ryedale District Council is keen to build a dry sports facility to cater for demand in the town.

Malton Swimming Pool has wet sports, but the nearest dry sports facilities to the town are ten miles away, in Pickering.

The sports centre would house four multi-use courts, an allweather pitch, a fitness suite with a gym and changing rooms, plus a climbing wall.

If approved, it would be built on land owned by Malton School, in Middlecave Road, and rented at a low rate.

Grants of £600,000 have been secured and the Football Association has said it could give £250,000 to help develop an allweather pitch.

But the scheme does not have unanimous support among the district's councillors.

The council's policy and resources committee met last week and agreed to recommend the authority support the plan.

The proposal will be heard by the authority's full council on January 17, when it could still be defeated.

Councillor Robert Wainwright, chairman of the policy committee, said: "Malton needs a good dry sports facility.

"There were about 80 per cent of us in favour.

"When it goes to the full council, there will be about 70 per cent support for it, so it will be a balanced decision.

"The plan could still be scuppered, but I hope the council will get the chance to build a great asset."

He said that consultants hired by the council also considered that Malton needs the leisure centre.

A scheme for a leisure centre in Malton has been on the drawing board for a number of years.

Plans for one were first drawn up in 1979.

In the Nineties, proposals were put forward for a new swimming pool, with dry facilities, which were scrapped.

There are fears the current plans could follow a similar fate as the council is also aiming to make £750,000-worth of savings.

North Yorkshire County Council has indicated it will take primary school pupils from the area to use the site if it is built.