£75m plans for new Bury St Edmunds leisure centre could be scrapped or paused
West Suffolk Council says it may not have the money to complete a new facility on the Western Way development
Last updated 11th Sep 2023
Plans for a new £75m leisure centre in Bury St Edmunds look set to be put on hold and could be scrapped, with West Suffolk Council saying the financial risk involved could be too high.
£2.4m has already been spnt on the new facility at the Western Way development, which was scheduled for completion in 2025.
Proposals will now be put before councillors which would see the project put on hold ahead of a decision on whether it would be viable to continue.
In the meantime the town's exisiting leisure centre, which is nearly 50 years old, would remain open with additional improvements to extend its lifespan for the next several years.
Councillor Cliff Waterman, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said in a statement: “Keeping leisure centres open and helping improve the health and wellbeing of local communities is a priority."
"But to do so in this cost-of-living crisis and with reduced public funding means we need certainty over our budgets so we can continue to deliver high quality services and initiatives.
"Given the level of investment involved, Western Way is a massive project and potential financial risk during this national economic crisis.
“These proposals are a sensible way forward and safest in terms of risk to the public purse while providing communities access to much needed leisure services now and in the future.
“The council like all public services is facing extreme pressure from inflation, interest rates and the energy crisis.
"In May, we said we would be considering the Western Way project before making any final decisions to proceed.
"We understand the original aspirations for Western Way but things have changed since the original case was made and we have to take our decision to proceed in 2023, and not in the past.
“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."
“To remove this pressure, and to ensure the viability of the current leisure centre we are proposing taking the most risk-averse approach by using existing budget put aside to address its condition.
"This means staying in the existing leisure centre for the next few years and using that earmarked money to carry out essential repairs and maintenance – catching up on the refurbishments put on hold while the case to build a new centre was explored."