A multi-million pound leisure centre is suffering delays in getting off the ground because of concerns about its impact on the environment, writes Roseena Parveen.

But the Vale of White Horse District Council insists protracted negotiations between it and the Environment Agency have not upset plans for the £7.8m Phoenix Centre to be built at Abingdon Science Park, Audlett Drive.

The project was given the go ahead in February, after winning a £1.95m National Lottery grant from the English Sports Council. The council is providing £5m and the County and National Lawn Tennis Associations will give £700,000. Karen White, the council's chief leisure services officer, said: "The original project plan has slipped a little by virtue of the fact we have more complex things to resolve over the design than we originally envisaged."

The council wants work to create the access road and foundations on the site by March 2000, while the construction of the centre itself is expected to start in May and finish in 2001. The Phoenix will include:

*An eight-lane, 25m swimming pool with spectator seating.

*The county's first indoor tennis hall with 12 courts.

*A dance studio.

*A bar, cafe and car park.

Story date: Wednesday 08 December

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.