The value of a piece of land has halted plans to build a new leisure centre in Flitwick.

Mid Beds District Council's executive heard last Wednesday that Flitwick Town Council wants more time to consider a land swap.

The district has its eye on town council-owned land in Steppingley Road, site of the current leisure centre, to build a replacement.

And in return it has offered the local town authority a larger site off Maulden Road, currently owned by Bedfordshire County Council.

The district claims a new country park and badly-needed cemetery could be created there.

But insiders have told the Times & Citizen that the land swap could leave Flitwick Town Council out of pocket, as the Maulden Road site may only be worth a maximum of £420,000, compared to £2.3 million for its Steppingley Road equivalent.

Coun Stephen Mitchell, who sits on both councils, said: "The district council wants Flitwick to give it its crown jewels in return for a piece of land by the sewage works. On the face of it, this does not look a good deal.

"I'm all in favour of a new leisure centre, but is Flitwick Town Council getting a fair deal, two fields for a prime piece of land."
Flitwick Town Council has requested time to allow for a full valuation of both pieces of land.

Coun Philip Thompson, chairman of the sport, leisure and community facilities group, said: "The town council therefore relayed this to the district council, requesting a short period in which this could be done."

But some district councillors were frustrated by the town council's "lack of decision" after Mid Beds committed £12 million towards a project which has already been delayed for more than a year.

Coun Anita Lewis, Mid Beds portfolio holder for leisure, culture and safer communities, said: "I am so disappointed for the people of Flitwick that their town council have rejected our proposal to build this new leisure centre.

"We at Mid Beds are still committed to providing new and very much enhanced leisure facilities for residents in the west of the district, but progress on this will now be considerably delayed."

An exceptional meeting of Flitwick Town Council has been called on Thursday, December 11, by which time the valuation process will have been completed.

But Mid Beds says the project cannot now progress before April 1, and it will drop down the list of priorities for the new unitary Central Bedfordshire Council.