Demand for a full and detailed statement from Kingston Council regarding the delay to a new Leisure Centre

We, the undersigned residents of Kingston upon Thames, are deeply concerned by the recent statement from Kingston Council that the construction of the proposed leisure centre has been cancelled due to financial pressures. We were promised an improved leisure centre - initially to be opened in 2023, then revised to 2024 - to replace the now demolished Kingfisher Leisure Centre but, four years later, we are still waiting.

We demand a full and detailed statement from Kingston Council addressing the following questions:

1. What is the expected timeline for the development of a new leisure centre as of March 2023:

• New business case expected to be completed by when?
• Is a further round of public consultation likely to be needed, if so by when?
• Construction of the new leisure centre is expected to begin by when?
• When will a new leisure centre be open to the Public?

2. What measures is the council taking to address the financial pressures that have caused the delay?

3. Who is in charge of this process and accountable to taxpayers as such?

We believe that the lack of transparency surrounding this issue is unacceptable and that the new process should be transparent to taxpayers. Therefore, we also demand that the council provide regular updates on the progress of the new leisure centre and that all relevant information be made available to the public.

We urge the council to provide a comprehensive response to these questions, as we believe that the lack of transparency surrounding this issue is unacceptable. We are eager to see progress on the new leisure centre and believe that a timely response to this petition will help to move the project forward.

Thank you for your support