Frustrated residents given start date for recreation centre upgrade

Residents at Warkworth’s Summerset Falls retirement village have complained about delays to a recreation centre expansion.

“We have been agitating for a start date which is not forthcoming. We have close on 200 residents now and the facilities are totally inadequate,” they said.

But Summerset chief executive Julian Cook said work would start next month and could not begin before then.

“The delays to the extension of the Warkworth village’s recreation centre have been frustrating for us and for our residents and we regret this. We let our Warkworth village management team and Warkworth residents committee know work on the centre will begin on September 7 and the centre will be completed before the end of the first quarter of next year,” he said. “Unfortunately, the start of construction has been delayed for a variety of factors including a lack of access to the site of the recreation centre. Because the extended recreation centre will adjoin the village’s main building, all build- ing materials need to be brought on to the site by crane over the top of the building,” Cook said.

Residents said a committee had been “working long and hard” on the changes.

“We feel that our project will be just pushed out further as it is not a money-generating project — never mind about how we will cope with at least another 200 people.”

Cook said he was well aware of the issues.

“We’re looking forward to bringing the Warkworth residents their muchdeserved and unfortunately longawaited recreation centre and know that it will make an excellent addition to the village,” Cook said. “In no way has the construction process been held up by the recent purchase of land adjacent to the village . . .”