Proposed Wolverhampton leisure scheme being reconsidered by council after spending £1.3m

The £6 million leisure scheme was due to open this year, but that has now been thrown into doubt after the council said it was reconsidering the plans.

Councillor Paul Singh accused the council of 'incompetence' in starting the work before a clear plan had been agreed for the site.

But council leader Councillor Stephen Simkins said, far from being wasted, the investment had attracted considerable interest from companies wishing to develop the site.

"They have spent all that money on that site for something that is not now going to happen there," said Councillor Singh, the Conservative member for Penn ward.

"It's just incompetence. The amount of money that continues to get thrown around by those in charge is truly an insult to those who live in this area.

"This is the kind of money that changes people's lives, and it's now clear that at least some of that is now gone."

But Councillor Simkins said the money spent on the site was already reaping rewards by attracting private investment into the city.

"What is important is we have now got a blank canvas to work with developers," he said. "How can that be a waste of money?

"We will never fall back to just getting it done, this has to be quality for people to come to this city and keep coming back to this city.

"There will be a quality entertainment area to build on the success of The Halls, but if we can also include more residential space, and children's spaces, that is something we should also be doing."

Councillor Simon Bennett, deputy leader of the Conservative group, said the expenditure amounted to a sixth of the total budget for the development.

The scheme, which was to be funded through a combination of council investment and a contribution from the Government's Future High Streets fund, would have created an open entertainment area with food-and-drink vendors.

But at the start of the month the council's deputy chief executive Mark Taylor revealed that other sites were now being considered for the scheme.

Councillor Bennett demanded that the council leadership came out with a clear explanation of what its plans now were.

“It is simply not good enough that they've spent all of this taxpayer-funded money on what we believe is a good project, only to attempt to pull-out of the development, with the news only coming out following a request for information," he said.

"We call on this council to give us their plans for the area immediately, so that the residents of Wolverhampton can be sure that their money is being spent correctly."

Tim Johnson, chief executive of Wolverhampton Council, said: "Work carried out to clear this site is part of our overall strategy to regenerate the west of Wolverhampton city centre.

"The vast majority of spend so far has been on the clearance of derelict shops on Cleveland Street and the purchase of the Neville Garratt Centre.

"No decision has been taken on the final location for the box space. In the event of it being at another location in the west of the city centre, this site will be ready for development and has already attracted interest – despite not being marketed.

"As with any significant investment, it is important that we explore all options to ensure we get the best outcome for our city."