I am currently drafting my response to Grant Thornton as part of my request that they issue a Report in the Public Interest on the way Kingston Council handled the demolition of The Kingfisher Leisure Centre and the council's plans for a replacement leisure centre. This has led me to examine more closely the dates on which events happened before and after the demolition of The Kingfisher.

I now realise that "Month Four" of the 2022/23 financial year is the month ending 31 July 2022.

This means that Kingston Council knew by 31 July 2022 that the cost of building a new leisure centre had already risen to £53 million from £39.6 million in May 2021. The cost to replace the roof and provide a new ventilation system for the pool area at The Kingfisher was £5.3 million.

The Kingfisher Leisure Centre was still standing on 31 July 2022, only as a result of a legal challenge supported by many of you to the council's previous attempt to demolish the centre with no guaranteed replacement. 

Kingston Council demolished The Kingfisher Leisure Centre in August and September 2022.

Kingston Council did not tell us until October 2022 about the increase in costs of building a new leisure centre of which they were aware in July 2022. The figure appeared in the report to Corporate and Resources Committee which met on 11 October 2022.

The Kingfisher Leisure Centre had already been demolished.

I believe that Grant Thornton must issue a Report in the Public Interest on the way Kingston Council has handled the loss of our leisure centre.