CONCERN is growing over the rising cost of redeveloping a popular leisure centre.

An opposition councillor has questioned how Eastleigh Borough Council will ensure the cost of the new Fleming Park Leisure Centre is not allowed to spiral.

Estimates for the cost of replacing the Eastleigh facility with a state-of-the-art new build stand at £23m.

While supporting the project, Conservative opposition councillor Judith Grajewski said a year ago the costs had been an estimated £19m.

“I’m concerned that costs are not allowed to escalate beyond a certain amount to be determined otherwise the costs are going to run away with us,” she told Cabinet members.

During the same meeting members agreed to the appointment of the architects AHR and to start the process of finding contractors.

But council leader Cllr Keith House said the key issue was not the construction cost but the business case and the projected income.

He said that the council needed to look at how to make savings on design and anything that could be done as part of the design to increase income.

He said that the income expected to be generated by the scheme was crucial to the cost and added: “We have said upfront that the expectation is that we will m a k e revenue savings.

“So not only will we be delivering a state-of-the-art leisure facility, which will almost certainly be one of the best in the country and, quite likely, one of the best if not the best in the region but it will also be a net saving to council taxpayers alongside keeping free parking.

“All that is in the mix as part of the brief that the architects have got to deliver.”

The project for the Passfield Avenue venue would see the building demolished after a new centre is built close by.

Plans include a larger main pool with eight lanes instead of six, a larger learner pool with an adjustable depth, expanded gym facilities and a new bistro restaurant aimed to be complete in time for the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Four companies submitted tenders in November and AHR has won the contract.

The company has been responsible for a number of new leisure centres, recently in Huddersfield, but was also responsible for the new Swan Centre Leisure development and Eastleigh Travelodge.

Grant funding of up to £2m and New Homes Bonus funding of £3.8m will be put towards the project, Cllr House has said.

Consultation Conservative opposition leader Cllr Godfrey Olson asked if there would be a public consultation on the issue to get residents’ ideas, but Cllr House said that process had already been done over the last two years through discussion with user groups.

The decision will now go to full council tomorrow.