Funding for New Cranleigh Leisure Centre Thrown into Doubt

Published on: 25 Sep, 2026
Updated on: 26 Sep, 2026

CGI of the proposed new Cranleigh Leisure Centre. Waverley Borough Council

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

The future of Cranleigh Leisure Centre has been thrown into doubt after West Surrey’s Executive failed to guarantee funding for its vital multimillion pound revamp.

Cllr Paul Follows

In January this year, residents were told by Paul Follows (Lib Dem, Lib Dem, Godalming Central & Ockford) leader of Waverley Borough Council, who is now also the leader of the West Surrey Shadow Authority, that the old rundown site had to be replaced with a state-of-the-art eco friendly building – or it would “inevitably close”.

Now, with the project set to be passed on to the new mega authority when councils across the county merge, the new leadership has rowed back on funding promises for the £36 illion project – leaving its future up in the air.

West Surrey is set to take over in April and faces huge debts inherited from its constituent councils. Residents have feared previously debt free areas would be pay the price for problems elsewhere.

Cllr Kevin Deanus (Con, Waverley Eastern Villages) asked the shadow Executive Committee on Wednesday (September 23) to confirm whether the new Cranleigh Leisure Centre would proceed as currently planned – and if West Surrey Council remained committed to delivering it once it took over on April 1, 2027.

He was told agreed projects, such as the new passivhaus leisure centre for Cranleigh, would continue up until Vesting Day, at which point a decision would be made.

Cllr Kevin Deanus

Cllr Deanus then pressed the Executive to commit to setting aside a clearly ringfenced budget for the project.

He said: “Will this scheme, and other schemes, be shown as a distinct line in the budget as I fear if its not it will be unachievable?

“More importantly if the scheme is not progressed will all the S105 allocations be returned to enable other infrastructure and facilities to be provided?

“Or would the 106 money be returned to developers?”

Cllr Leslie Rice

In response, Cllr Leslie Rice, the West Surrey portfolio holder for Finance, said: “We’ve talked a lot about evolving situations.

“Everything will be evidenced based, we will have to see what the facts are as we prepare the budget.

“As John Maynard Keynes said ‘when the facts change, I change my mind’.

“We will look at the circumstances in the best we can, for every single community in West Surrey.”

Cllr Jane Austin

Cllr Jane Austin, group leader of the Conservative opposition group, said: “This is a really important project for the Cranleigh area and I’m really concerned to hear the level of non-committal.

“Could we have a yes or no that the West Surrey Executive is backing this project and that it will form part of their budget?”

Cllr Rice replied: “West Surrey executive will back every single important project at every single community.

“Many communities have many projects which are important, none are more important than others.

“We will look at all of them with respect to the financial resources available.”

Responses to Funding for New Cranleigh Leisure Centre Thrown into Doubt

Patrick Bray Reply

September 25, 2026 at 6:58 pm

Well I suddenly feel as though the gift of second sight has been granted!

I expect that the great controller on high won’t be able to find the required funding for the sports centre but the angel of estates shall descend and sell the remnants to a ready developer, for a suspiciously low price, to pay down the burden of Woking so gratefully shared amongst us all, and our former community assets.

Are we not all so glad to be the now only new mega authority?

Surely it’s not too late to stop this farce.
Angela Richardson Reply

September 26, 2026 at 7:28 pm

It will be a very shoddy business indeed if the Liberal Democrats were elected earlier this year on a promise that can no longer be fulfilled.

I called it “pork barrel”* politics at the time. Have the residents of Cranleigh been swizzed?

Angela Richardson is the former Conservative MP for Guildford.

*Pork barrel politics refers to the legislative practice of allocating public funds for local projects that primarily benefit a politician’s home district or constituents, usually in exchange for votes or political support. Wikipedia
Patrick Bray Reply

September 27, 2026 at 1:07 pm

The response from Angela Richardson above demonstrates why extremest parties are coming dangerously close to gaining power.

The absolute travesty is that the Labour party has nationally engineered a policy that will reduce local accountability and annihilate public services and assets of otherwise fiscally healthy authorities.

The response of the Conservative representative is to criticise an election promise of a party attempting to protect local amenity. Whilst I think it was naive to consider funding as secure I would much rather politicians actually fought and called out the actual core issues and not just point score.

If we are to beat extremest politics the mainstream political focus needs to be on fixing the issues not criticising the opposition.
- Angela Richardson Reply
  
  September 30, 2026 at 9:02 am
  
  It is incorrect to refer to me as the Conservative representative. While I am a member, I currently have no formal role or title within the Conservative party other than former MP.
  
  Mr Bray is entitled to his view, but I would gently remind him that the Liberal Democrats hold power locally as a result of an effective campaign made up entirely of political point scoring. He will forgive me if I missed his comments calling the Liberal Democrats out for failure to focus on core issues over personalities.
  
  It is not extreme to hold those with power to account. It is a necessary function of democracy.
  
  Angela Richardson is the former Conservative MP for Guildford