CAMPAIGNERS whose hopes for a new sports centre were dashed after the plans were thrown out still hope they can resurrect the scheme.

The Press reported on Friday how Ryedale District Council decided to reject proposals for a £3.6 million leisure facility on part of Malton School's playing fields has outraged its supporters, who have accused those who voted against it of betraying youngsters in the Malton and Norton area.

At the same fiery meeting which saw the sports centre plans voted down, the council backed the creation of a £6.2 million enterprise and innovation centre as part of a proposed business park just off the A64, near Eden Camp.

Some councillors feared funding both the sports and enterprise centres would leave the authority financially overstretched and the cupboard bare for other areas such as affordable housing.

But those who backed both schemes have rubbished these claims, while Malton School head teacher Rob Williams has a blueprint for rejuvenating the sports centre dream.

He said: "I feel the responsibility has been devolved to Malton School to pick up the baton and provide a lead which the council is clearly not going to provide.

"There are positives - the school earmarked £250,000 for this scheme and are hopeful of succeeding in a bid to the Football Federation for up to £300,000, the Derwent Sports Association has raised £50,000 and Malton Tennis and Bowls Club also want to move to new facilities on the school site.

"As a school, we will seek out backing from other groups and launch an appeal to find a Ryedale construction firm which may be prepared to work with us, business sponsors and the support of friends and former pupils of the school as well as council taxpayers, who I believe would be prepared to pay a little extra for a facility like this.

"It might not be a Rolls Royce of a sports centre, but I'm confident we can still deliver something of great benefit to the community."

About 800 jobs would be created by the business park which the enterprise centre would be part of, but the plans - which involve building on a greenfield site - are being considered by the Regional Government Office and could be called in for public inquiry.

Council leader Keith Knaggs, one of those who voted against the sports centre plans, said: "Some councillors took the view that two projects were one too many, both from a financial and project management point of view.

"The main reason was the view that the sports hall would absorb too great a share of the council's resources, both now and in the future, to be justifiable. That's fine if there is no tomorrow, but I think there will be a tomorrow in which we need to do things on affordable housing, flooding, concessionary bus fares and helping keep rural post offices and transport going.

"This one project locks out too many other things, and we certainly did not want the enterprise centre to be one of the things locked out."