A council leisure centre will cost 60 per cent more than originally budgeted for due to inflation and the need to meet Sport England requirements.

Stafford Borough Council will ask councillors on Thursday evening (8 December, 2016) to approve an extra £3.6million for the Stone Leisure Centre project, which will replace Westbridge Park Fitness Centre in Stone, Staffordshire.

The new facility, which is subject to planning approval, will now cost £9.6m and not the £6m originally budgeted for.

According to borough council cabinet papers the authority approved a strategy to build the new centre in 2014. However, inflation since 2014 has meant an extra £1.2m is needed.

Also, the floor area for the facility has had to increase from 16,791 sq ft (1,560 m2) to 24,542 sq ft (2,280 m2) to meet Sport England requirements, at an extra cost of £1.65m.

A sum of £580,000 is for contingency and £30,000 to move a Guide hut.

The leisure centre will consist of a six-lane swimming pool, an 80-station gym and two studios.

The council agenda papers say that the cost may be offset by Sport England funding and further reduced by the new facility being fitted out by the eventual leisure operator, which will be going out for tender at a later date.

The council plan to start building the leisure centre next year and open it in 2018.