SUPERMARKET chiefs have said a “complex” work agreement with its electricity supplier is behind the delayed opening of a state-of-the-art sports centre.

Sainsbury’s is funding a new sports centre in Malvern Road, St John’s, Worcester, which was due to open on Monday, August 4, but will now open on Monday, September 8.

The building is part of a wider development which will provide a new youth centre – due to open in September – improvements to Christopher Whitehead Language College and a 26,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s store.

The supermarket giant has put the delay down to paperwork problems with supplier E.ON but the electricity company has said it is working on time and to schedule.

Gary Mudge, Sainsbury’s spokesman, said: “The water and gas supplies to the sports centre have been installed.

“However, due to the complexity of the agreement with our electricity supplier, the installation has been delayed because the documentation has been passed between legal departments.”

He said that the document was due to be signed off on Tuesday, August 5, which would enable the remaining work needed on the building to be finished.

However, Deanna Mooney, spokeswoman for E.ON, said: “It [the sports centre] is not ready for the final connection because our contractors are still laying ducting but we’re not behind.

“Everything is running to plan.”

She said only when the ducting and cabling had been installed – which is still currently in progress – would the final legal paperwork be signed and power connected.

Your Worcester News first reported on the delay, which Sainsbury’s initially put down to unspecified problems installing the site’s utilities, on Tuesday, July 22.

In any case, officers at Worcester City Council, which is due to take over the completed sports centre, say the delay will not affect youth activities that are running at the old sports centre in Swanpool Walk, until Sunday, August 31.

Wynne Rogers, the city council’s assistant head of safer and stronger communities, said although the new building would be completed by Friday, August 22, the transferring of equipment would take a further two weeks.

He said: “We will keep the old centre open until Sunday, August 31, and then close for seven days. There would always have been a week for the shutdown.

“I think it is impressive in a centre this size to keep it going right up to the last day.”