SHARED-use sports halls being planned at two schools could sound the death knell for a new community sports centre for Malvern residents, district councillors have warned.

Worcestershire County Council is considering spending a £3.1m National Lottery grant on new sports facilities at Dyson Perrins High School, in Malvern, and at Tenbury High School.

To entice the county council to spend the money at the two schools, Malvern Hills District Council's executive committee last night agreed to provisionally allocate £800,000 to support the projects.

''We would have a community-use agreement, so the facilities would be open to local people in the evenings, weekends and in school holidays,'' corporate director Colin Davis told councillors.

He admitted that spending the money - allocated from the district council's windfall earned from the transfer of its housing stock to housing associations - would mean losing any chance of creating stand-alone community sports facilities, an idea temporarily shelved last year due to the cost.

''This would be the death knell for a community sports hall. It's the end of a stand-alone dedicated sports hall anywhere in Malvern,'' said Coun Tom Wells.

''Both schools undoubtedly need extra sports facilities, but it's the county council's responsibility to meet the educational needs of pupils, not ours.

''I have a real problem expecting schools to organise, promote and run a community sports facility. Who's going to pick up the maintenance costs five years down the line? Also, for most of the day these facilities will not be available for community use,'' he added.

He abstained when councillors voted to support the proposals and investigate the implications.