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This Council notes:
 
1)      
Residents are worried about the financial viability of the plans at
a time when the council is struggling financially;
2)      
The phase three
consultation process in 2024 attracted only around 3600
responses[1];
3)      
The proposed facility
is smaller than the existing one (e.g. 25m pool, modest 6-court
hall), despite claims of a “world-class” centre[2] while costs have inflated
from £47m (2024) to £65m (2025 RIBA 2);
4)      
The residential build is intrinsically related to the build of the
leisure centre, and that they should be considered together;
5)      
There is no clear
contingency for construction inflation, climate adaptation, or
operator underperformance;
6)      
The King Alfred is
already popular, and that popularity will be hard to increase given
the small-scale nature of the upgrade;
7)      
The predictions of
visitor numbers are highly speculative, and the cost will be much
higher than the council is forecasting. 
This is potentially another i360.
8)      
The council is very
unlikely to ensure that 40% of the housing stock is
affordable. 
 
This Council resolves to:
 
1)   
Request that Cabinet reconsider:
 
a)   
A pausing of the approval by cabinet of £2.3m in resources
until the plans for housing have been set out;
 
b)   
And a pausing of approval until the whole of the site is
provisionally costed so taxpayers are not left counting the
cost.
 

[1]
Engagement and consultation for King Alfred
development

[2]
Exciting new plans unveiled for King Alfred Leisure
Centre