Hi there HRD and welcome to the club. The £1000 difference is made up of the fact that with the SE-L you get leather, wood trim and ventilated seats, rather than just heated seats. I can't seem to see any other difference.
It's all a matter of personal choice. I see now that the Sport is available as an auto which would make the decision even harder for me. I had an SE-L auto and loved it and I think with either car you will be v. happy.
I would check out the prices on Drive the deal, www.drivethedeal.com which at the moment are showing a £3.5k saving on list for a Sport Auto. That should be the starting point for negotiations with your dealer. Get them to chuck one or two services as well. The cars now come with mats and full tank of petrol so no need to bargain for that. When I bought my SE-L i took out a service package for three years servicing including wear and tear items which you might want to ask about as well.
Any more help, please ask away.