Contractor steps in at West Denton

Morgan Sindall Construction will complete delivery of the £34m Outer West leisure centre for Newcastle City Council, after Willmott Dixon stood down from the project in 2023.

WD had completed pre-construction and enabling works at the project, but with price inflation hitting the industry hard, concluded that it could not deliver the scheme for the £26m originally estimated.

Accepting that costs would inevitably increase, NCC launched a search for a new construction partner in September last year.

The council said that work can now begin after after a £2.5m investment from Sport England’s Strategic Facilities Fund, with the local authority itself pledging to plug the £7.15m shortfall to make the scheme happen.

Preparatory works should start in the next few weeks on what is expected to be a two-year build. A 2026 opening would mean the project would complete two years behind the original target date.

Cabinet member for a vibrant city at NCC, Cllr Abdul Samad, said: “I am delighted that work can begin on this very exciting project.

“Like many levelling up projects up and down the country it has been impacted by the soaring cost of building materials and labour. Although the project has been delayed the council has remained steadfast in its promise to build it and that has never been in doubt.

“During the course of the project we have had to appoint a new construction partner and secure additional sources of funding but now we have finally got there the project can get under way.”

The council said it has worked hard to reduce the project’s cost by around £4m over recent months so the project can remain viable.

Newcastle first learned in October 2021 that it had been successful in bidding for LUF backing for a leisure centre and pool. It put together the bid after the old West Denton Pool remained mothballed after the Covid lockdown of 2020.

Demolition started in November 2023 and since then the site has been cordoned off.

Morgan Sindall Construction’s area director for the North East and Cumbria, Alex Isted, said: “We are delighted to see this project move forward and to be able to utilise our expertise in order to help Newcastle City Council overcome the difficult, nation-wide challenges posed by historically high-levels of inflation.

“Leisure facilities bring immense value to communities. Better health and wellbeing are of course an end in themselves, but a more active and engaged population is also one likely to be less dependent on other services – and better able to contribute to economic growth.”

The centre has been designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, and is backed by £19.8m in Levelling Up Fund support. The facility is to include an eight-lane 25m pool, fitness studio, gym and café, as well as a new library.