Questions raised over plans to shelve new Bury St Edmunds leisure centre and Western Way Development

A former council leader who oversaw plans for a multi-million pound new leisure centre and public services hub in Bury St Edmunds has spoken of his disappointment that the development could be shelved for ‘short term reasons’.

Cllr John Griffiths was Conservative leader of St Edmundsbury Borough Council and its successor West Suffolk Council when the Western Way Development was envisaged which would have included a new leisure centre.

On Friday, West Suffolk Council, now led by a coalition, announced the hub plans, which have cost the authority £2.4 million so far, look set to be ‘paused’ to look at alternatives.

Cllr Cliff Waterman, leader of the council, said the hub was a potential financial risk during the national economic crisis and instead the existing Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre would be revamped with the aim of adding another 10 years of life to the facility.

Cllr Griffiths said the move was very disappointing after a huge amount of work went into the ‘well costed and ambitious project’.

He said long-term thinking and cost savings had been shelved for short-term reasons.

Cllr Griffiths said patching up the leisure centre, which opened in 1975, would be more expensive in the long term and involve closing the facility for a period which would be to the detriment of the people who use it.

He said it was short-term expedient and didn’t make much sense financially.

A Project Review in December 2022 said a minimum refurbishment of the existing leisure centre would cost about £13 million.

However, it said fully refurbishing the existing but smaller centre now and deferring its replacement for 20 years would cost around £84 million – £24.8 million initially and around £60 million in 20 years allowing for inflation.

It added that even a light touch refurbishment would cost more in total than the Western Way option.

A report to cabinet next week said it was important to disregard those refurbishment options.

The council was not able to yet identify the sum likely to be available for essential maintenance and refurbishment but it would be a ‘basic refurbishment to address immediate issues only’.

The report said the Olding Road building is incurring holding costs of about £300,000 per annum which will need to be accommodated in the council’s overall budget until the future of the site is known.

Cllr Waterman, who became council leader following this year’s elections, said they had taken the decision to be prudent to avoid a big debt and prevent facing financial difficulties which has blighted councils such as Thurrock, Woking and Birmingham.

The Western Way Development, initially budgeted at up to £140 million which was gradually whittled down following changes to the proposals underseen by the previous Conservative administration, was envisaged in October 2018 to house public services including health under one roof as well as provide about 6,000 m2 of commercial office space.

The facility would have reused the steel frame of the council’s depot building in Olding Road and an adjoining warehouse.

The authority is to draft proposals and options for the Olding Road site early next year as well as the former Warehouse Clearance Superstore, in Anglian Lane, which its predecessor St Edmundsbury Borough Council bought for £1.71 million in November 2018.

After proposals changed, the first phase of the hub was budgeted at £75 million, with a new £40 million leisure centre, West Suffolk’s branch of Suffolk Archives, and potentially office space and a preschool.

In an open letter to Cllr Waterman, Nick Clarke, leader of the Conservative Group at West Suffolk Council, said: “At a stroke, you have killed the concept of community hubs in West Suffolk.

“You are signalling that we are now a backwards looking council with a complete lack of ambition who can’t keep their side of a deal.

“There must now be real question mark over the early years centre and the archives. Why would any potential partner ever trust us again?”

On Friday, Cllr Waterman said: “We believe that the challenging economic conditions mean it is right to pause and re-think the re-use of the Olding Road site.

“This is to make sure we get this decision right, and that the project is still affordable and not pressured into the wrong decision potentially committing us to a significant sum and risks for a new leisure centre.

“There are abortive costs in stopping, but with the present uncertainties the risks of carrying on could be greater.

“At this time around £2.4 million of the previously agreed capital project has already been spent and the council will be using as much of that work as it can in helping look at options going forward.

“Some of that funding paid for works that would have needed to be done, whatever option is chosen. While the majority will be abortive, costs to spend even more at this time would be too risky.”

Addressing the leisure centre refurbishment, he added: “The refurbishment scheme being proposed for the current leisure centre is different and much simpler than the ones that were looked at previously as part of the Western Way project we’re seeking to cancel.

“Not only can this be delivered within existing budgets at no additional cost to tax payers but gives us greater flexibility in keeping the facility open while work takes place.

“Crucially, we believe this is the safest and quickest way we can guarantee the future of the leisure centre in these challenging times of inflation and soaring costs and reduced government funding.”

A report with the proposals will be presented to cabinet on September 19 and full council on September 26.