THE deputy leader of a local authority has survived calls to resign in a bitter dispute over the closure of Richmond's sports centre.

Richmondshire District Council's community committee voted earlier this year to axe the facilities, to keep a council tax rise to a minimum.

However, there has been an outcry among the centre's regular users, including an after-school club.

Richmond's six district councillors demanded an emergency meeting of the authority this week.

At the meeting, the Mayor of Richmond, Councillor Stuart Parsons, criticised members of the council who backed the closure and said that the chairman of the community committee, Councillor Richard Dunn, had misled the council on the issue and should resign.

Fellow Richmond councillor John Harris also said that the community committee was asked to vote on the sports centre's closure without having the full facts.

"It is clear to me that the chairman of the committee failed to do his job properly," said Coun Harris.

"As a result, residents now feel completely disillusioned with this council. The chairman of the committee has lost the confidence of the people who use the sports centre and, in that situation, he should resign."

But Coun Dunn denied misleading the authority on the issue and a vote went in his favour.

"We had a full and honest debate on this issue before the community committee vote on January 13," he said.

"We debated it again at the scrutiny panel and again at full council. It has been debated to death and now it's time to move on."

Council leader John Blackie said the after-school club could remain at the sports centre until at least October.

The majority of sports clubs and groups with block bookings have been offered alternative accommodation.

Coun Blackie also said if Richmond councillors wanted to keep the sports centre open, they should have come up with a realistic alternative.

"Power does not come without responsibilities and one of them is to cost what you are proposing," he said.

"These days, councillors are asked to be community leaders and there has been precious little evidence of that from the six Richmond councillors."