Further £847,000 to be spent on council pool plans
King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough CouncilMore money will be spent on a council's hope to build a new swimming pool despite questions about value for money.
The existing St James Pool in the centre of King's Lynn, Norfolk, was built in 1975 and has been deemed expensive to run and too small.
About £2m has already been spent on plans to build a pool within the town's Lynnsport recreation centre, but that idea was abandoned because it was deemed unaffordable.
The Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk has now agreed to spend a further £847,000 on generating plans for a standalone pool, but still on the Lynnsport site.
Clare Worden/BBCAt Thursday's corporate performance panel meeting, Reform UK councillor Austen Moore raised a concern about how much of the budget was being spent on consultants.
"I support getting a new pool for King's Lynn but I want to make sure that this £847,000 is an investment in getting the right answer with the right level of financial certainty rather than another stage of expenditure."
Council officers said they were "as close to cost certainty" as they could be at this point.
Conservative councillor Brian Long said "keyboard warriors" had been critical of how much had been spent on the project so far, but their concerns should be considered.
The independent leader of the council, Alistair Beales, said building in the town is "always expensive" due to the area's flood risks.
"Construction costs go up virtually by the day," he explained.
"Whilst this is a huge amount of money it is not disproportionate to the projected cost of the project."
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Officers said the St James Pool is "currently safe to use" but was being inspected every six months to make sure the concrete structure had not deteriorated.
The intended new standalone pool on the Lynnsport site would have an eight-lane 25m (82ft) main pool and a four-lane 17m (55ft) learner pool.
There would also be a splash pad, a sauna and a steam room.
The additional funds for consultants and planners are part of the wider £23m budget for the new pool.
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