Halifax swimming pool latest: 'Let's see what is possible' vow as Calderdale councillors discuss finance and future of stalled new multi-million pound sports centre plan

Calderdale Council’s decision to put the building of a new leisure centre and swimming pool at North Bridge, Halifax, on ice, with inflation and rising costs of building materials pushing the project way beyond budget, featured heavily in the authority’s Cabinet’s question time.

The council’s Deputy Leader, Coun Jane Scullion, said a full review was being carried out into the scope and possibilities for the sports centre project in the current financial climate.

A member of the public, Jonathan Holden, had asked what had been spent on the project to date and if scrapped what contractual commitments the council would have to meet, for example, paying suppliers.

And Coun Sue Holdsworth (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) asked in light of the project being halted if refurbishing and reopening the now closed Halifax Swimming pool at Skircoat Road was a more economic option to ensure people in the town had some leisure facilities.

Conservative group leader Coun Steven Leigh (Ryburn) had also made a similar call last week, urging Cabinet to keep all options open.

But Coun Scullion (Lab, Sowerby Bridge) questioned use of the word “scrapped” and stressed she wanted to be very clear that the leisure centre project was ‘on hold’.

Answering Coun Holdsworth, she said of the review: “Nothing is off the table.”

It was not an ideal situation and Cabinet had been “devastated” to have to put the scheme on ice.

She said: “Let’s look at all the options and see what is possible – watch this space.”

Cabinet had heard the new pool and sports centre on the site of the old North Bridge Leisure Centre was initially costed at around £28 million, had risen to £31 million, with rapidly rising building cost inflation set to push this to £35 million when ‘paused’.

Other Calderdale capital projects, partnered by West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), likely to be paused include walking and cycling elements of the major A629 highways project from Halifax to Huddersfield.

Coun Martin Hey (Green, Northowram and Shelf) said shelving this was “a massive blow” and wanted to know if it had implications for traffic and emissions in the Local Plan, which is now being considered by a Planning Inspector.

Coun Scullion agreed this was devastating but the project was likely to be put in a pipeline at WYCA and there was still some hope as national Government had made a commitment to active travel projects.

Council’s Cabinet also agreed to approve the council’s three-year capital programme 2022 to 2025, now £212 million with 83 per cent coming from Government funding but 16 per cent still having to be found by the council by prudential borrowing – local authorities can borrow at special rates.

Coun Leigh said he urged caution regarding prudential borrowing for capital schemes as rising inflation meant repayment costs rose.

“Perhaps, and if we are not careful as a council, we could be in some trouble, so I would urge you to bear that in mind – these costs are now starting to run away with us,” he said.