MULTI-MILLION pound plans for sports facilities may have to be put on ice because of spiralling costs.

Colchester Council is planning a massive complex at Northern Gateway which will include a state-of-the-art 1.6km road racing bike track, a BMX track, a horse riding course and an archery ground.

It is proposed Colchester Rugby Club would move to the new site from their home in Mill Road to use the rugby league and union pitches on the new site, which would also be used by Colchester Gladiators.

If the scheme gets off the ground, a sports centre, which will house badminton courts and table tennis tables could be built while there are also tentative plans for a gymnastics hall, a sports clubhouse and car park with 488 parking spaces.

But council officers have now put together a cost review report to try to reduce the capital costs of the project without compromising on the facilities proposed.

Their proposals, which are confidential, will be discussed at a cabinet meeting of the council next week.

The financial risk to the council is spread across a range of funding sources as the authority aims to maximise external sources of cash.

Options which have been considered include halting the project completely, postponing to wait for land value to rise, phasing the scheme or only moving the rugby club and cycling centre to the site.

Council leader Paul Smith (Lib Dem) admitted unforeseen issues had arisen, but he said he was confident the scheme would still go ahead.

He said: “More detailed work has been done at the site and we have found things which are going to cost us more money.

“For example, drainage on the site is going to prove to be a lot more expensive and difficult than we thought.

“We are having to look at it and find out what we are going to do.

“Part of it will be generating more income and on the flip side of things, land sales are producing more income than we thought.

“We are looking at costs and seeing how we can reduce them.”

Mr Smith added: “Something else we are looking at is pre-fabrication rather than building on site which could save money.

“Another is using some of the soil which will be dug up, and using it to build the BMX track.”

Mr Smith added: “I think we can overcome the problems and we think it is still doable.

“We could stop the project – but that is going to cause us a whole host of problems - and we could phase it but it will cost us more money in the long run and will cause issues if two or three years after opening a load of workmen turn up again.”

Mr Smith said the council was being prudent in taking a measured and careful view.

He said: “It is right we look at the issues before work starts on site.

“If you take Firstsite as an example, we got involved in a project and then discovered there was a lot of extra costs.

“It maybe there is a shortfall in money where we need to borrow until it starts making money.

“I don’t see borrowing being a risk because there will be revenue streams to fund the borrowing.”