Council bosses have warned of “incredibly challenging” pressures on a new leisure centre due to be built in Newcastle – as costs jump and its opening date is pushed back.
Work is set to begin soon on a state-of-the-art leisure complex in West Denton, which will boast swimming pools, a library, and other sports and exercise facilities. It will act as a replacement for the closed West Denton Pool, which was controversially shut down at the start of the Covid pandemic, and the existing West Denton library and customer service centre – which are set to be demolished.
It had been hoped that the new facilities in West Denton Way would be ready to open by summer 2024, but a new report reveals that its estimated completion has already been delayed to December of that year.
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The centre is being largely funded by a £19.8m award from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF). But there have been major concerns for some time that Newcastle City Council would not be able to deliver the project in time to meet the fund’s strict timescales – with a deadline of March 2024 for authorities to spend the grants issued.
A report to the city council’s cabinet on Monday night states that the LUF money will still be spent before that deadline, despite the delayed construction timescale. But it has also emerged that the overall cost of the project has jumped from an original £22.3m to £26m. The council is now set to submit a new bid for grant funding from Sport England to support the scheme.
Local authorities across the country have been left worrying that major building projects with LUF backing could be jeopardised by escalating costs, amid an economic crisis that has sent inflation soaring. Coun Lesley Storey, the council’s cabinet member responsible for leisure, said on Monday that the West Denton project was “incredibly challenging, there is no doubt about it” – but that she still has faith that it will come to fruition.
The Labour councillor told the cabinet meeting at Newcastle Civic Centre: “We are robustly project managing this programme and although there are some slips on the timescales they are entirely understandable and we feel that we are in a very, very good place with this project.
"Up and down the country we are seeing lots of authorities who are very challenged around Levelling Up. Some are very worried that they are not going to be able to deliver, so we have given this our highest priority. I am in a position right now where I feel very confident about the progress we are making.”
Lib Dem opposition leader Nick Cott raised concerns about the construction delay and the rising costs, saying there was “a lot riding on this for the council and the reputation of the leadership”. He added: “Obviously, I hope this is delivered – it is really important that it is. But I express concern that, again, we are in this situation.”
Council leader Nick Kemp said: “It is a significant development, a significant investment that is now is the midst of some of the more significant challenges that any local Government could ever face.” We are acutely aware of the risk, but at the same time we need to drive forward and keep the commitment to it.”
The new leisure centre will include a 25m swimming pool with eight lanes, a 17m training pool, an aqua play pool, a sports hall, a fitness studio and gym, a library, community spaces, a soft play area, and a cafe.
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