Dunstable £20m leisure centre reopening delayed again

The second date set for the re-opening is now 3 June and not 13 May as planned

The reopening of a £20.1m leisure centre has been postponed again, as the building work has not been completed on time.

Central Bedfordshire Council said it was "disappointed" with the delay, but instead of opening on 13 May, the Dunstable Centre will open on 3 June.

Dates were originally set for "winter 2018/2019" and then March.

The builder, Wates Construction, said there had been "unforeseen delays" and it was working to "address the issues".

A spokeswoman said: "We have been working hard to address the issues as quickly as possible and ensure the project is delivered efficiently without compromising the quality of the building."

The Dunstable Centre was due to open in winter 2018/2019, then March and then May

The centre will house Dunstable's library, which closed on 22 December, as well as an upgraded gym, leisure facilities, creche, cafe and Citizens Advice offices.

A swimming pool is due to open by the end of the year, but only after tiling problems, discovered in January, are resolved.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "We are very disappointed that our contractors have not been able to complete the last elements of the building on time."

As a result, she said testing of the building and staff training had not been completed.

The delay has been called a "massive disappointment" on the council Facebook page, where people have said they "doubt it will be the last" delay, while others were "not happy" and were left "fuming".

The council is asking customers to "bear with us" and said the leisure operator, Stevenage Leisure, will be contacting those with bookings.

The Dunstable Centre in Court Drive will include a new library, a health and fitness suite, swimming pool, exercise studios, sports hall, squash courts, café, day care accommodation and offices for Citizens Advice