The huge rise in costs for Kenilworth's new swimming pools have been blamed on rising construction prices in the West Midlands.

Council bosses have also speculated that the new designs needed to protect the medieval remains found in Abbey Fields have too had an impact on the scheme's cost.

Warwick District Council (WDC) this week agreed a new £22 million price for the Abbey Fields Leisure Centre project with developer Kier - a huge step up from the £8.5 million predicted in September 2021, and the £12.5 million contract signed the following year.

But addressing members of the media on Wednesday (February 8), programme manager Padraig Herlihy explained: "The first returns that came back from the subcontractors were higher than either Kier or us had anticipated. 

"We believe that is because the design changes for the suspended slab were more complicated. 

"We believe that local construction costs are also rising fast. 

"I have colleagues at the county who are having similar issues to me at the moment. 

"One could speculate that it is because of High Speed Two, but nobody really knows if it is or not.

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"But we are experiencing higher costs than elsewhere in the country."

Work at Abbey Fields has all-but stopped since late 2022 (image via Warwick District Council)

Amended planning permission for the project was secured at the end of 2023, with some small changes to the design approved.

Chief amongst them was raising the foundations 500mm, and swapping to a suspended slab foundation and 211 piles to help preserve the remains. All of which was agreed with Historic England.

But WDC said there was a point where the scheme looked like it had become too expensive.

"The initial price that Kier came back to us at the start of the year was initially unaffordable," Mr Herlihy added. 

"Kier has offered a very substantial reduction in costs to enable the works to continue."

While Council leader Cllr Ian Davison said: "There was a time when I thought we would be saying no.

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"I don't know Kier's negotiating position, but from what they were telling us, they had to move or it wouldn't happen."

To help bring the costs down with Kier, the council has agreed the firm will not initially build the new duck feeding station or tennis courts. However, these will need to be built at some point as they are part of the planning approval.