THERE have been plans to redevelop the King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove for half a century. Nothing has happened yet.

And it doesn’t look as if it will for a while now that the city council is likely to scrap an agreement with developers Crest Nicholson if they fail to sign it shortly.

The centre was built 80 years ago and was almost immediately commandeered by the Government as a training station for naval officers at the outbreak of the Second World War.

It was called HMS King Alfred and the name stuck when the centre was handed back after the war ended.

There were two swimming pools, the major and the minor. Both used heated sea water which was preferable to the chlorinated water in most other venues. The major pool was boarded over in the winter and used as a sports hall. Both pools were suspended above an innovative underground car park but this proved to be their undoing.

After 30 years, the weight of the water became too much for the supports to bear and the pools were soon closed.

New pools were opened in 1982 and remain in use now. But what seemed state-of-the art then looks a little sad and shabby today.

Waterslides proved popular for a while but they were vulnerable to the winter weather and did not last long.

Back in 1969, Hove Council bought the neighbouring Royal Naval Reserve centre for an extension to the King Alfred. The site was turned into a temporary car park which is still there, a blot on the seafront.

It backed a plan for a residential skyscraper over a modern sports centre based on squash, then a highly profitable game. But the Government stepped in and put a height restriction on the flats which meant it was no longer viable.

The King Alfred, a rather drab building with faint Art Deco influences, did not wear well and future plans for redevelopment included demolishing it rather than building an extension. Since then there has been plan after plan to make good use of the site. One ambitious scheme was based on cinemas and a casino.

Another even bolder project contained flats designed by the world famous architect Frank Gehry. There was strong opposition to both schemes. Neighbours thought there would be noise and nuisance from the cinemas while conservationists who felt the Gehry development would be far too dense.

Both were approved by planners but neither proved to be financially viable. And now cash problems are bedevilling the scheme from house builders Crest Nicholson who are worried about rising construction costs and a slowing down of the housing market.

Even with a Government contribution of £15 million, the £400 million scheme would have a funding gap of another £16 million. At least the Gehry scheme would have attracted national if not international interest for its design.

By contrast the Crest Nicholson scheme would produce unimaginative towers with little architectural excitement. But it would offer a great deal to Hove. It would provide many affordable homes much-needed in an area where there is plenty of poverty.

There would also be a welcome sports centre with new pools replacing those now badly showing their age.

Pools are popular with the public. But they are extremely expensive to build and running costs are high. While hardy swimmers at the old pools withstood water temperatures of well under 21degrees centigrade, today’s cosseted water babies want pools at bath temperature. Keeping a large expanse of water warm is costly.

Building major projects can be slow and extremely expensive. It took nearly a century to build a new library for Brighton and even that needed a private finance initiative to get going which people are paying for now.

Rebuilding the Brighton Centre seems to have stalled while nothing has been built at Black Rock since the old, outdoor, pool closed 40 years ago.

Brighton and Hove is expecting too much of the King Alfred even if luxury flats are built there in a prime position.

Even with Government aid, the site is too small to take the affordable homes and new leisure centre as well.

It looks as if the council will have to make the scheme more attractive for Crest Nicholson to feel confident about it.

This might involve offering more money or land, both currently in short supply, to the developers. Alternatively it might consider selling the site to raise cash for another less expensive location.

The council must make a bold move to get things moving otherwise this site which should be a delight will remain a lacklustre leisure centre with a permanent temporary car park.