Costs jump for delayed leisure centre

The leisure centre was originally set to open in summer 2024

The cost of building a heavily delayed new leisure centre has jumped again and now stands at nearly £40m.

Plans to open a sports complex in West Denton, Newcastle, have suffered repeated setbacks since being unveiled in 2021.

The facility was originally budgeted to cost £22.3m and open in summer 2024 but construction is yet to begin. Now Newcastle City Council is seeking approval for a fresh cash injection to cover the escalating costs.

The city's Liberal Democrat opposition is set to take the funding request to a special call-in hearing at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday "to seek clarification" the development is properly funded.

A report, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, states the budget for the project must be increased to £39.93m if it is to go ahead without further delay.

It represents a second jump in costs after the original budget rose to £26.5m in October 2022.

The Outer West area has been without a leisure centre since West Denton pool was closed in 2020 and later demolished to make way for the new Levelling Up Fund-backed development.

Quality concern

Lib Dem councillor Mike Cookson said the call-in hearing was not intended to cause further delay "but to seek clarification that the development as a whole is sustainably funded and meets the needs of the residents".

He said the cabinet was proposing to use funds currently allocated to other projects in the city.

Marc Donnelly, an independent councillor in the Chapel ward, said he backed the council's decision to keep investing in the scheme to ensure residents in the area "receive the same benefits as enjoyed by others".

Planning permission was granted last week for a revised version of the leisure centre designs, with the proposal having been redrawn to cut costs.

But there was concern from council planners about it no longer delivering the "sense of high-quality design" seen in the original vision.

A council spokesperson said: "The construction of a new leisure centre and swimming pool complex in the Outer West is a hugely exciting project for the city that will offer residents first-class facilities."

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