Plans for multi-million pound new leisure centre in Bury St Edmunds move closer to cancellation
Councillors have agreed to a recommendation to halt the project
Last updated 20th Sep 2023
The multi-million-pound Western Way project in Bury St Edmunds is one step closer to being cancelled following councillor recommendations.
Cabinet members addressed and supported the move during yesterday’s meeting which will now be debated during next Tuesday’s full council meeting.
Led by West Suffolk Council leader, Cliff Waterman, the cabinet’s decision will take into account current financial pressures.
Cllr Waterman said: “In these uncertain times, we’ve looked at the risks of making such a project and decided they outweigh the advantages.
“We’re proposing to do a very heavy maintenance job, to reduce the risk on our own taxpayers.”
Although the council is not facing the same high-debt spending ratios as other local authorities across the country, cabinet members are still wary of going ahead with the project.
This is despite the fact a ‘break-even test’ against existing revenue budget provisions would likely be met.
The district’s Conservative Group, however, have indicated their disappointment with the decision and continue to call for further deliberation.
Cllr Andrew Smith, the deputy leader of the group, said the decision is ‘premature’.
He added: “We’re not asking for an unlimited amount of time, we only want a short period of reflection.
“In my view, the speed of this move to cancel this project, which can be measured in months, lacks the vision and commitment that the people of West Suffolk have come to expect.”
Nevertheless, Cllr Waterman maintains that quick action would avoid further costs.
The council’s statutory officers have also indicated in their analysis of the proposal that there is no ‘do-nothing option’.
The new proposal would drift from the ‘light’ refurbishment option contained in the December 2022 business case review for the project, which set the price tag at £13m, and focus only on essential maintenance of the existing Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre.
It is, however, still unclear what the initial cost of this maintenance would be, and how long it would keep the centre running for.
Cllr Diane Hind, the cabinet member for resources, said continuing the project as set out by the previous Conservative administration ‘could mean cutting corners’.
She added: “This isn’t about whether the Western Way project was a good idea or not, and it’s not about a lack of ambition either.
“In very simple terms, we have to take this decision in 2023, and not the past.”