A HEATED council meeting bore witness to an impassioned debate over plans to transform a South Lakeland leisure centre.

The multi-million-pound project at the site in Ulverston's Priory Road is set to be carried out in three phases, although the latter two will need to wait for approval by the upcoming Westmorland and Furness unitary authority, which is to begin operating in April 2023.

And Ulverston councillors Dave Webster and Mark Wilson expressed disappointment at Tuesday's full council meeting over delays in the project, saying less money was now being committed to bring it to fruition than was promised initially.

"It needs to be promised that this council will bring in at least phase two which is the swimming pool," said Cllr Wilson. 

Cllr Andrew Jarvis, deputy leader of South Lakeland District Council and assets portfolio holder, said: "It is just not practical that we will have that pool built 13 months from now, that is just reality.

"We can continue to work, we can do our best, we can prepare the groundwork. 

"We will work as quickly as we can, but it is a daydream to think that a swimming pool can be put in place - all the agreements and planning - by this time next year.

Cllr Jarvis also said the Covid-19 situation had imposed changes on the project and caused delays.

"Having gone through a major pandemic, we know that the financial situation of our leisure centres is very different," he said.

Phase one of the leisure centre project, estimated to cost around £1.8 million and be supported by money from GlaxoSmithKline, is to include the provision of three football pitches, changing facilities, a remodelled indoor tennis centre, an 'informal running route' and crown green bowling green.

Phases two and three, set to cost a total of around £5.7 million, would include a new six-lane swimming pool and refurbishment of the existing all-weather hockey pitch. These two phases would be supported by revenue from the new facility, 'prudential' borrowing and, potentially, grant funding.