New leisure centre construction delayed again

Work on construction of a new £31m leisure centre in a Surrey village has been delayed by a further year.

Plans for a six-lane 25m (82ft) swimming pool, teaching pool, large gym, two multi-purpose exercise and activity studios and cafe in Cranleigh were approved in March.

At that stage Waverley Borough Council (WBC) said construction would begin this autumn, having originally aimed to start work in summer 2025 when unveiling the project.

WBC has now said that work will not start until the summer of 2026, with the new facility scheduled to open in winter 2027.

The council attributed this delay to changes in the market seen during the period that it took to resolve conditions related to the award of planning permission.

WBC said this prompted a review of the project, and the revised timeline.

Waverley Conservatives have expressed concerns following this delay which councillor Jane Austin described as "worrying news".

Ms Austin said: "With £31 million of public money already committed, residents deserve transparency and certainty.

"Each additional delay risks further cost escalation and prolonged disruption for local residents."

Waverley Conservatives "will continue to press the administration for full disclosure and clear accountability", she added.

Liz Townsend, WBC portfolio holder for planning and development, said: "The planning permission included a number of complex technical conditions, among them a legally required upgrade to the nearby footpath and bridge and completing those legal agreements between the various authorities took around six months.

"At the same time, the construction market has shifted significantly over the past year, so it was entirely right that we carried out a detailed review of the project.

"That review will go before Overview and Scrutiny in December."

WBC has confirmed that contractor Willmott Dixon will carry out the work.

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