INVESTMENT of £750,000 looks set to provide millions of pounds worth of new and improved sports facilities in three locations in Richmondshire.

The district council agreed to support a major leisure complex planned by the army at Catterick Garrison, which will also be open to the public.

A special meeting of the economic, cultural and leisure committee approved a contribution of up to £450,000 towards the scheme, which is likely to cost £8-10m and be completed in 2004.

Members stressed that backing for the garrison project must not be at the expense of developing dual-use sports facilities at Richmond school and the Wensleydale school, which the council had pledged for many years to support.

They agreed that £150,000 should be set aside to develop each school site for use by students and the community.

The £750,000 was ring-fenced for dual-use sports improvements from the proceeds of the sale of land at Gallowfields, Richmond, for housing.

The two-hour debate on Tuesday followed lengthy discussions about the long-term development of dual-use leisure facilities in the district, particularly after a bid for more than £2.9m of lottery cash for work at the schools was rejected by Sport England last year.

That grant would have provided four-court halls at each school, along with other indoor and outdoor sports provision available for community use.

Following rejection of the bid, officers devised scaled-down schemes for each school, based on the reasons given by Sport England, which it is hoped would attract lottery cash.

The meeting heard that £150,000 would refurbish the existing sports hall at Richmond school and provide either extra changing room space for the floodlit outdoor pitches or extend the hall to include an activity area and fitness suite.

At the Wensleydale school, in Leyburn, a two-court hall would be built, with guaranteed public access at certain times.

Plans for the garrison complex, outlined by Col Nick Gaskell, its commander, last month, include a pool, two four-court halls, squash and tennis courts, outdoor sports areas, a fitness suite, cafe and possible non-sporting aspects such as a library.

The committee agreed that, as the leisure-providing authority, it was essential that the council was a partner in the garrison scheme, which members suspected would go ahead whether or not the council was involved. It was important that the authority had "a seat at the table" in the planning and management of the centre and members sought assurance from the army that the complex would be available for community use.

It was also vital that support continued for the schools projects. Coun Katherine Carr said: "In 1997, we said that, in partnership with the governing bodies of the schools, we wished to provide new community and education sports centres at Richmond and Leyburn. We sold land to release the capital to provide these facilities and we must keep our promise."

Coun Yvonne Peacock said Wensleydale currently had no sports facilities and development of the Leyburn site was vital.

Coun Lyn Miller was concerned that Sport England might fail to support the schools schemes because the proposals at Catterick Garrison were so magnificent.

Mr Alistair Copeland, of Sport England's regional office, who attended the meeting, said it was essential that projects applying for grants had a strategic context and showed that a thorough examination of the needs of the community had been assessed.

Other funding sources should also be explored, including the government's New Opportunities grants which could be pursued through the education authority.

Coun John Blackie, committee chairman, described the meeting's decision as a "win-win-win situation" which would provide a sports complex of international importance at the garrison and develop modern dual-use schemes in Richmond and Leyburn.

After the meeting he added: "After last year's decision by Sport England not to approve plans involving both Richmond and Wensleydale schools, we were forced to look at this whole issue again and the emergence of the army's plans for Catterick gave us yet another option to consider.

"In the end, the scale of those plans was such that we simply could not afford to ignore them, given our role as strategic recreation authority. This demands that we develop a sport and recreation strategy for the district which delivers the maximum benefit for our residents.