Costs to redevelop Whittlesey leisure centre set to spiral above £18m as 'significant concerns' found with existing facilities
Costs to redevelop Manor Leisure Centre in Whittlesey are set to spiral above the expected £18.7m.
The news comes after “significant concerns” with the viability of retaining current elements of the building were identified.
These elements include the swimming pool tank and associated plant areas.
The issues came to light as a result of engineering investigations necessary as part of the detailed design process to fully cost redevelopment of the centre.
The estimated cost of the project was originally estimated to be £18.7m, which is now expected to rise.
A report is in the process of being prepared for Fenland District Council’s cabinet to provide further detail to allow decisions to be made on the way forward.
The requirement to replace all elements of the existing facilities alters the nature of the development to such a degree that a fresh full planning application is required. The new planning application is expected to be lodged imminently.
Cabinet has previously been told the current Manor Leisure Centre has reached the end of its useful life and would cost more than £4million to keep running in its current form.
The proposed redevelopment would create a facility fit for decades to come and improve financial viability by attracting more users and making it less costly to run.
Fenland District Council Leader Councillor Chris Boden said: “Costs have gone up, particularly on the construction side, and we are now talking about a larger project than we were talking about before. Inevitably, that is going to mean an increase in the overall cost.”
“This is a major, incredibly aspirational project to create a facility fit for the future.
“We await the Cabinet report to consider all relevant factors and make appropriate decisions on next steps.”