Council's £13m shortfall for new leisure centres

Plans for two new leisure centres in Lancashire towns will need to be reconsidered because development costs have risen by £17m, councillors have been told.

The proposals for brand new venues in Ormskirk and Skelmersdale were being drawn up, along with a £3m scheme to refurbish Burscough sports centre.

But West Lancashire councillors have been urged to come up with alternative ideas after a report said the authority had a £13m shortfall.

A potential early and permanent closure of Ormskirk’s existing Park Pool and Skelmersdale’s Nye Bevan Swimming Pool - which are both 50 years old - could help gather funds, a report said.

A report by the council’s deputy chief executive said the local authority had approved a series of reports to support the development of the leisure hubs to replace the Nye Bevan and Park Pool centres and planning had been approved.

But it added there had been "concerns over the potential financial viability of the new hubs for some time".

Financial challenges have included significant increases in construction costs from £36.6m in 2021 to an estimated £49m.

There have also been increases in interest rates.

"Since Covid 19, economic volatility has also presented challenges which have impacted the financial viability," the report said.

The council report stated: “The council would need to identify and allocate an additional £13.3m of funding towards the new hubs to make them viable.

"Given the current financial climate, the existing plans for new hubs are not affordable, although this position can be kept under review particularly if significant external funding opportunities become available.”

A leisure update is due at West Lancashire’s next full council meeting on 16 October.

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