The island’s Policy & Finance Committee has revealed that a building surveyor’s report has estimated that it would cost nearly £2.5m. to complete the work.
P&F chair Jeannie Cameron revealed the figure in response to questions from Alderney States member Alex Snowdon.
She said that the estimate was much higher than her committee had expected and put the escalating costs down to a number of issues, including the build quality, how much building was completed before work stopped, building regulation standards, the requirement to replace defunct and obsolete equipment, and the need to provide parking and access to the school car park.
The exact estimate was £2.34m. with £2m. needed just to provide a community facility without a pool.
By contrast, demolition would cost £150,000.
Ms Cameron said that when her committee had discussed the report there was support for the demolition option, particularly given the other demands for capital funding in the island.
However, her committee was mindful of how much public money had already been invested in the project, so agreed not to make a final decision without community feedback.
She said that P&F would also write to Guernsey’s Education Committee to see if there might be any appetite for sharing the cost of the project, given the potential benefits to St Anne’s School.