Ealing Council has been accused of 'messing up' plans for a new leisure centre after an overspend of over £700,000 before the final budget for the scheme has been approved.

The Gurnell Leisure Centre in West Ealing closed in August 2020 following the lockdown. The 50-year-old building was deemed unsafe and in urgent need of redevelopment.

Almost two years on from receiving planning approval, a cabinet report outlines that the council has overspent by £703,000 before it has approved the final budget for the scheme. Documents indicate that this is due to an increase in costs related to pre-construction agreements, enabling works, and "associated costs."

Councillor Gary Malcolm, the Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the Labour-led council have wasted time and money. He said: "Liberal Democrats believe that Gurnell should have been replaced a long time ago.

"Ealing Council have wasted so much time and money. If they had worked proactively with developers and the community with a suitable plan things would have happened a lot quicker.

"Because of this, the delays have led to a rise in cost of the development. These were widely predicted so it is again another project that Ealing Council seems to have messed up on."

Ealing Council says the overspend outlined in the report is a "technical accounting term." The local authority rejects that the overall cost of the scheme – for which a final budget has not been approved – has increased.

The new Gurnell will feature a new 50-metre swimming pool with slides, a gym, play areas, commercial space, and approximately 300 'affordable and new market housing' homes; 35 per cent of the homes are expected to be affordable.

In March 2026, the council appointed Countryside Properties UK to build the homes. At the time, Council Leader Peter Mason said: "We are bringing back a first-class Gurnell Leisure Centre for residents to enjoy for decades to come, but we want to make sure we are making best use of space available at the site."

The leisure centre is not the only council project experiencing cost pressures. The refurbishment of the council headquarters – Perceval House – has also exceeded costs in recent months.

It is currently forecast that this budget will overspend by £853,000. Approximately £387,000 of this relates to audiovisual equipment which will be funded internally through reserves set aside to fund equipment for democratic services.

Documents suggest that council officers are currently considering what other budgets may be available to fund this.

An Ealing Council spokesperson said: "Gurnell Leisure Centre is a highly complex, once-in-a-generation project which will provide fantastic health, fitness and wellbeing facilities for the borough's residents, and those who live further afield, to enjoy.

"Substantial progress has already been made, including securing planning permission, completion of enabling works to prepare the site for the main construction phase, appointment of a leisure operator and appointment of a residential development partner.

"The overspend noted in the report, which is a technical accounting term, does not mean the overall cost of the scheme has increased, and relates to the pre-construction phase and works that were brought forward into this stage to prepare the site for the main construction period and reduce future costs.

"The council is totally committed to building a new Gurnell Leisure Centre and is planning the project's next steps, including finalising the funding strategy."