Cost of building leisure centre jumps to £40m

THE cost of building a heavily delayed new leisure centre in Newcastle has jumped yet again and now stands at an estimated £40m.

- DANIEL HOLLAND

The site of the former leisure centre in West Denton

Flagship plans to open a state-of-the-art sports complex in West Denton have suffered repeated setbacks since being unveiled in 2021.

While it was hoped that the facility would be ready to open in summer 2024, construction is yet to even start on the Levelling Up Fund-backed scheme. And Newcastle City Council is now seeking approval for a fresh cash injection to cover the escalating cost of the development.

A report, seen by The Journal, now states that the budget for the leisure centre project must be increased to £39.93m if it is to go ahead without further delay.

That has jumped substantially from a £26.5m funding package agreed in October 2022, which itself was an increase on an original £22.3m budget.

The council has repeatedly insisted that the leisure centre will be built despite the difficulties posed by inflation, with the outer west of the city having been without a leisure centre since the old West Denton pool was closed in 2020 and later demolished alongside the area's library and customer service centre to make way for the promised redevelopment.