Doncaster MP slams council over ‘lack of communication’ amid delayed leisure centre reopening
The City of Doncaster Council has revealed it is in the midst of a legal process over the delayed reopening of Thorne Leisure Centre.
A Doncaster MP has slammed the local council over a “lack of communication” on the reopening of a revamped leisure centre.
Labour’s Lee Pitcher MP wrote to the City of Doncaster Council to “express my deep frustration, and the frustration of so many of my constituents” over the uncertainty surrounding Thorne Leisure Centre’s reopening.
The MP revealed the reopening had been delayed due to “ongoing issues with electrical works” which, he said, the council has been engaging with the relevant company on to find a way forward.
However, he added: “I have now had numerous meetings and conversations with colleagues at City of Doncaster Council to try to find out why this project is not progressing, and to see what I might be able to do to help move things forward.
“It is disappointing to note that, despite the understandable upset of residents in Thorne and elsewhere, this remains unresolved.
“I cannot now avoid addressing the very real concerns and frustrations I am hearing from those constituents on this issue.”
A council spokesperson said: “We have received the letter from Lee Pitcher MP and will be responding in due course. The issues at Thorne Leisure Centre are with the Independent Distribution Network Operator, of which legal processes are ongoing.”
Mayor Ros Jones and Councillor James Church attended a photo op at the leisure centre in April 2026, during which the council said residents would “soon be able to acces a brand-new gym, bowling alley and children’s play area”, but the site is still not open nearly five months later.
Mr Pitcher said he would also be writing to the company involved in the works, which has not been identified, and urge them to “resolve any outstanding issues immediately”.
However, the MP said: “It is ultimately Doncaster Council’s responsibility to provide clarity for residents on what is going on, why the delay has been so long, and what is being put in place to immediately resolve the problem.”
Delays to the reopening have previously attracted the ire of local Reform UK councillor David Knight, who said in April: “People in Thorne have been patient for far too long. We were promised a full leisure centre, not a half-finished project with no gym. Residents deserve answers, a clear timeline, and delivery, not endless delays.”