Taxpayers in Flitwick will end up subsidising out-of-towners using a new multi-million leisure centre, it was claimed at a public meeting on Monday night.

Mid Beds District Council and Flitwick Town Council are proposing to demolish the ageing leisure centre in Steppingley Road and build new facilities on Millennium Park, off Dunstable Road.

But community group Flitwick At The Crossroads (FATCRG) feels it is unfair for residents to pay for almost half of the development – on valuable greenfield land – when only 17 per cent of the current centre's users live in the town.

It is thought Flitwick Town Council assets will provide up to £4 million of the total £9 million cost.

A packed audience at the Old School heard FATCRG chairman Arthur Bourne say: "We already have one of the highest tax precepts in the county, and the town council is using a lot of money on something for a minority of Flitwick people."

A petition objecting to the development, signed by more than 1,700 residents, was presented to the town council last month.

Coun Stephen Mitchell, who sits on Flitwick Town Council and Mid Beds District Council was at Monday's meeting.

Afterwards, he said: "I think it is totally wrong for Flitwick to contribute what will amount to more than 50 per cent of the cost. I feel quite concerned about this whole development.

"Flitwick has been raked by developers for the past 30 years and now Flitwick has to pay for its own remediation plan."

FATCRG is also campaigning for measures to be taken to relieve traffic congestion before it is made worse by a separate £10 million redevelopment of the town centre.

The group has suggested building a bypass around the town, or putting a park and ride scheme in place.

Mid Beds district councillor Stephen Male (Con, Flitwick) called for planners to stop living in the past and to put forward a modern town centre design.

He said: "Now Nirah and Center Parcs have taken shape, we need to push for the feasibility study for a bypass this year.

"We also have to get our councillors out of the mid-20th century and into the 21st century and to come away from the old-fashioned."

Coun Mitchell added: "We are the second biggest town in Mid Beds, every other town has had a makeover.

"Money has been earmarked for Flitwick and then spent elsewhere and now we are going with a begging bowl to Tesco and other developers and we will not get the town centre we want."

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Flitwick Town Council has contacted the Times & Citizen and Bedford Today to say that a task group meeting being held at The Rufus Centre, on Tuesday, January 22 is NOT a public meeting.