Work to finally get a new leisure centre built in the outer west of Newcastle is back under way, almost three years after funding was awarded for the development.
Plans for a new swimming pool, sports hub and library in West Denton have suffered multiple setbacks since Newcastle City Council won £19.8 million from the Tory Government’s flagship Levelling Up Fund (LUF) in October 2021.
Council bosses have been forced to hunt for extra funding and switch contractors in a bid to cut costs as the estimated bill for the project spiralled from an original £22.3 million to £34.15 million.
The centre was originally meant to open this summer, but construction is yet to even begin.
However, it has been confirmed that engineers are now on the site in West Denton Way to divert a gas main away from the area. They will then be tasked with filling in old mining workings before the actual building of the leisure centre can begin, something which could take until 2025 to start.
The development will act as a replacement for the former West Denton leisure centre, which was demolished last year. Residents have been frustrated after being left without a swimming pool since the Outer West Pool was shut at the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020 by operator GLL and, controversially, never reopened.
A council spokesperson said: “Work to prepare the site for the leisure centre and pool is now under way. Engineers are currently diverting a gas main away from the site which has led to temporary roadworks on West Denton Way.
“We anticipate this will take a fortnight to complete, and then in October work to fill in old mine workings to stabilise the site will begin. This could last up to 12 weeks depending on the extent of the voids. Once that is done the site will be safe for the construction phase to begin.
“We would like to thank residents who live nearby for their patience and co-operation at this time and want to reassure them we will do everything that we can to minimise disruption.”
The city council announced in July that Morgan Sindall Construction had been appointed to build the centre, having split with former contractor Willmott Dixon in an effort to reduce the cost of the development.
Civic centre leaders have insisted that, despite widespread concerns across the country about LUF-backed projects as a result of inflated building costs, the new leisure centre will not be abandoned and will be delivered “without compromising on quality”.
The council itself has pledged to put £7.15 million into the scheme, though it has not specified where it will find that money.
There have also been questions over the future of unspent LUF grants under the new Labour Government.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government previously declined to confirm to the LDRS whether or not it would seek to claw back funding from projects that have not been delivered, with the West Denton project having previously been set a March 2025 deadline for its grant to be spent – a time limit that it looks certain to exceed.
