ELTHAM’S MP has branded objections to the chosen site for a new leisure centre as “madness”.

The £9.5m building, which would include a gym, swimming pools and other fitness facilities, would be built on the Sun Yard refuse site, in Eltham High Street.

Eltham North Conservative councillors Spencer Drury and Douglas Ellison have said alternative sites should be considered because there is a £4.4m gap in funding, a lack of parking spaces and sunlight would be blocked out for residents living along Blunts Road and Archery Road.

But MP Clive Efford says going back to square one after seven years of pushing for the proposals would be madness.

He said: “This has always been my pet project. I’ve always wanted to see a decent replacement of Eltham Pools. The idea we should go back to square one fills me with horror.

“To suggest we can just pick up the whole project and select another site would be going back three or four years. It’s madness. I can’t understand the Tories’ line.” He added Eltham town centre is well served by public transport, there are additional parking facilities in the Orangey car park, the leisure centre would have space for Greenwich Community College and residential properties will not have their sunlight blocked.

He said: “Where the building is three storeys, it won’t overshadow those properties. But what it does open up is a town centre presence for all sorts of training opportunities.” The council’s cabinet committee approved an initial sum of up to £100,000 to cover site surveys, bid preparations for sports Lottery funding and planning applications for the long-delayed project at a meeting on June 24.

But this must be reconsidered at another cabinet committee meeting on July 8 after Eltham South Conservative councillor Peter King objected to the cost of the feasibility study and “called in” the decision.

Councillor Drury says an application to increase the height of the proposed leisure centre from two to three storeys was a recent decision.

He added: “Clearly that’s a change. It will have an effect on direct sunlight into residents’ back gardens.

“The council wants to spend £100,000 on a feasibility study on something which was decided six years ago.

“A feasibility study is about seeing how feasible this is. Surely this is the right time to bring up questions about things like parking. We want another leisure centre. We just have questions over the site.”