A PROPOSED wellbeing and enterprise centre that was awarded £20m in funding last year is not expected to be completed until 2026.

Plans to build a new swimming pool and leisure centre on a site on Squire Lane near BRI date back over seven years – and were originally planned as part of a shake up of Bradford’s swimming facilities.

After years of little progress, Bradford Council submitted a £20m bid to Government for “Levelling Up” funding last year.

The bid was successful, with then Chancellor Rishi Sunak awarding the full funding during the Autumn 2021 budget.

When asked for an update on the scheme, almost a year after the funding was announced, Bradford Council has now revealed more detail on the timetable for the works.

A Council spokesman said: “Initial works to clear the Squire Lane site has been completed along with the required land, ecological, noise and traffic monitoring surveys. “We are now ready to move the second phase of the development and will be submitting the planning application during 2023.

“The Squire Lane Leisure, Wellbeing and Enterprise Centre is on track for delivery in 2026 and we expect to start the process of engaging a contractor in spring 2023.”

The bid was the Bradford West bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund – which allows each constituency in the UK to apply for up to £20m in funding for projects that would boost the area.

When first announced over seven years ago, the cost of the Squire Lane pool was estimated to be around £10m.

For the Levelling Up bid the scope of the development was widened.

Now the scheme would be a “leisure, wellbeing and enterprise centre.”

When announcing the bid the Council said the development would include: “a new pool, health related facilities, and activities to develop enterprise, skills and com-munity engagement.”

The new facility would “address the under-provision of leisure facilities and play space in the area, boost locals' activity levels, improve health and wellbeing, stimulate an ‘entrepreneurial culture,’ and support small and micro-businesses to in-crease employment.”

The Council submitted Levelling Up bids for the remaining four constituencies in the District.

The Bradford South bid calls for the transformation of Odsal Stadium, the Keighley bid would see new training centres built in the town and improvements to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, the Shipley bid calls for the refurbishment and reopening of Bingley Pool and the Bradford East bid would see a number of community centres becoming wellbeing centres.