THE company behind plans to redevelop the King Alfred leisure centre in Hove says it will not sign a deal with the council until there is greater certainty over Brexit.

The development agreement with Crest Nicholson was due to be approved at a council meeting today – ending years of negotiations.

But at the 11th hour the company’s managing director Scott Black submitted a letter to the council which said: “This commitment requires greater clarity on the form and timing of Brexit however, as certain scenarios could yet undermine the project’s feasibility.”

The project involves knocking down the ageing leisure centre and building new, modern sports facilities alongside 560 flats.

Mr Black confirmed Crest’s commitment to work with the council on the “exciting project” and said he was “very pleased with the progress” and that a “comprehensive contract” had been agreed. But the deal has not yet been signed.

Mr Black wrote: “This is a complex project which has presented significant issues to both parties. Not least the backdrop of some very challenging economic uncertainties surrounding Brexit and the impact this could yet have on the construction industry workforce and wider confidence and stability of the property market.”

He said the board had agreed that “they remain willing to proceed with the development and to enter into the agreement”.

But he said: “This commitment requires greater clarity on the form and timing of Brexit however, as certain scenarios could yet undermine the project’s feasibility.

“As a business, we have been proceeding on the understanding that there would be an orderly Brexit deal agreed in January, with a view to the UK leaving the EU on March 29 with a known exit strategy in place. This would still create the conditions for the project to proceed and the agreements to be exchanged which we still hope and expect to be able to do within the next few weeks.”

He adds: “The current deadlock is most unhelpful and does not provide the basis for major investment decisions in the interim.

“As soon as we have greater certainty over the nature and form of the Brexit arrangement which we all hope and expect will be achieved shortly, and assuming this does give reasonable certainty over the future trading relations with Europe, then we will enter into the development agreement.”

The council has been approached for comment.