A town’s bid for a new £11million swimming pool is facing uncertainty due to a delay in the Government confirming it will fund the project.
North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) has begun working towards delivering the facility in Fakenham, which will be built as an extension to the existing leisure centre, after cash for the project was announced last November.
However, it is yet to receive formal confirmation it will receive a £10million grant from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), putting the authority at “risk” if the promised money fails to materialise.
Council members have agreed to commit further resources to the scheme, which include £450,000 to cover rising costs due to inflation and £330,000 for “framework fees”.
Cllr Liz Withington, cabinet member for community, leisure and outreach at the Liberal Democrat-controlled council, said at a recent meeting that the lack of confirmation is the “biggest risk” the project faces.
It was reported that several attempts had been made in recent weeks to get assurances from the Government, but they were yet to get a response.
But Cllr Withington added that work continues to progress well, despite the uncertainty, to ensure the project meets deadlines.
The new swimming pool in Fakenham is the biggest capital funding project to come to a North Norfolk town since 2003, according to Tim Adams, leader of the council.
Christoper Cushing, a Fakenham councillor who heads the Conservative group at NNDC, said the pool has received a huge swell of support from residents in and around the town, which has not had a pool for ten years.
He added there was “no reason” to believe that the funding will not be confirmed in the near future.
A 25-metre swimming pool with a multi-use games area is to be built at the Trap Lane recreation centre.
The funding announcement last November came as a surprise to NNDC after an earlier attempt in 2021 to secure the cash failed.