Plans for a new £25m leisure centre in Leighton Buzzard delayed for a year

Plans for a new £25m leisure centre in the east of Leighton Buzzard have been delayed for a year because of a local authority’s current financial challenges.

Fresh plans have been submitted by Central Bedfordshire Council for this facility, off Briggington Way, at Clipstone Park.

But CBC’s executive committee was told there would be a 12-month delay during a report on its draft capital programme for the next four years.

Independent Aspley and Woburn councillor and executive member for finance John Baker warned: “This is going to be difficult because interest rates are much higher now than they were last year.

“Every time we spend money on our capital programme through borrowing, it has an impact on our revenue budget. This reduced capital budget is £87m net in the next year.

“This compares with the previous administration’s proposal to spend £142m. We need to be more realistic about what we can afford. It ends up being about a 38 per cent reduction in borrowing.

“In bringing costs under control, we’ve lowered demand on the revenue account by nearly £3m a year. That’s not to be sniffed at when we’re starting this process £25m adrift.

“Leighton Buzzard leisure centre has been pushed back by one year purely down to the financial circumstances which we inherited.”

Liberal Democrat Leighton Linslade South councillor Chris Leaman described this schedule change as “a disappointment to local residents”, acknowledging: “The budget situation will be some form of explanation.

“We’ve seen our town grow without any significant capital investment in its infrastructure. Health hubs are no longer in the capital programme, so I’d like to know where we stand on the demand for better health services in Leighton Buzzard.

“I’m pleased that we’ve a commitment to deliver in future years on the leisure centre. Tiddenfoot is a much beloved centre, but it’s starting to creak at the seams, despite the good work of staff to keep it going.”

Conservative Heath and Reach councillor Mark Versallion agreed, saying: “Tiddenfoot has had a couple of revamps in my time, during the past decade, and it’s still not adequate.”

Independent Leighton Linslade West councillor Steve Owen suggested: “It’s more important for Leighton Buzzard residents to have a health hub in the centre of town than to have a shiny new leisure centre.

“I don’t dislike that idea, but the priority is same day health treatment facilities locally for the town’s 52,000 residents.”

Independent Potton councillor Adam Zerny, who chairs the committee, replied: “The potential delay to the leisure centre isn’t to pay for a health hub, but to ensure the budget pays for core services.

“If we can find extra funding for other areas, this will certainly come back. We must ensure the vital services needed by the public come first.

“It’s not a case of one or the other. The leisure centre is a long way down the line. It’s almost fully funded, although the costs will increase. We’ve already paid for the design stage.

“It would be premature to put funding for healthcare ahead of the leisure centre currently. This council remains committed to that. Exactly when it happens comes back to the funding.”