COUNCILLORS have been forced to decide which of two schemes to improve sporting facilities at secondary schools should be given priority - with Wensleydale beating Richmond on a committee chairman's casting vote.

Richmondshire District Council had hoped to take forward in parallel the schemes for sports halls at Richmond School and the Wensleydale School, in Leyburn.

But Sport England said the authority must choose between the two in order to make a second bid for lottery cash. An initial bid for cash for both projects was rejected earlier this year.

The vote at last Tuesday's community committee was tied, with half the members backing Wensleydale because the school currently has no sports hall, and the rest citing the 'deplorable' state of the hall at Richmond.

Chairman Coun Richard Dunn used his casting vote in favour of Wensleydale, clearing the way for the authority to bid for sports lottery money.

The scheme for a two-court hall at the Leyburn school received a knock-back when the New Opportunities Fund advised it had only made the reserve list for funding and was unlikely to receive any cash.

The committee reaffirmed its commitment of up to £450,000 towards an £11m sports complex to be built by the Army at Catterick Garrison, which will also be open to the public. Members again confirmed that Richmond and Wensleydale schools would receive up to £150,000 each to improve sports facilities.

Col Nick Gaskell, garrison commander, told the meeting that £7.1m of funding was already in place and he was confident the rest would be found and work should start on site next spring, with the complex due to open in late summer 2004.

The centre, on land near the athletics stadium and Tesco supermarket, is to include a 25m pool, six-court sports hall, health and fitness suite, squash courts, aerobics and martial arts area, climbing wall, cafe and bar, creche and a library, which North Yorkshire County Council has agreed to fund.

Col Gaskell said the scheme was an important part of plans to redevelop the garrison, which were progressing well.

Nine expressions of interest had been received for a residential development at Arras Lines, and seven companies were likely to bid.

In spite of failing to attract heritage lottery cash, he was also confident the planned National Army Museum at Marne Barracks would go ahead, opening by spring 2005.

The management structure of the new sports complex had still to be decided and the committee agreed to explore all options for setting up a leisure trust to be involved in this.