Halifax new leisure centre plan back on track after cost concerns

Some elements of the original plans, including a sauna and steam room, will not be included, the council said

Plans are back on track to build a new leisure centre in Halifax after they were put on hold due to rising costs.

Calderdale Council paused building the centre last year after costs increased from £28m to £35m, with councillors fearing a further rise in inflation.

The authority said officers had been working to get "best value for money," particularly around energy costs.

The centre will be built on the site of the existing facility at North Bridge, which closed last March.

Council leader Jane Scullion said: "It had been devastating to have to pause the project last autumn and look at the whole provision of leisure in Halifax."

The leader said a lot of work had gone on behind the scenes, including a review of the project to see how finances could be best used.

It will be built on the site of the old North Bridge Leisure Centre in Halifax

Some £12m of Levelling Up money from the government, which had been earmarked for the project, was still available to use, the council confirmed.

Ms Scullion said as a result, the authority could now go ahead "with top-class facilities that I think will impress and be there for the people of Halifax and Calderdale more widely for decades to come".

The centre will include a new swimming pool but some elements of the original plans, including a wellness suite, sauna and steam room, have been dropped, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ms Scullion said she could not give a detailed summary of final costs due to ongoing construction inflation, but said total costs had been reduced by 6%-10%.

"Officers are looking at identifying additional cost savings as we go on," she said.

The authority said it hoped new designs would be finalised by 2024 with the possibility of the centre opening in 2025.