WAVERLEY Borough Council has finally lifted the veil of secrecy surrounding repairs at The Herons Leisure Centre -after four years of secret session discussions.

Since completion of the building in 1998, councillors have kept their discussions about the details and cost of the repairs behind closed doors.

This week, however, the council decided to go public at its decision-making executive committee meeting.

An officers' report, presented to the meeting on Tuesday, listed a leaking roof, tiling defects in the showers and health suites, and methane entrapment in the grounds as part of the centre's catalogue of problems.

And the report went on to recommend that an engineer should be appointed to arrange for a process called "soil nailing" to stabilise a stretch of a retaining wall.

It was also revealed that there has been a massive £1.2 million overspend on the project, bringing the total cost of the beleagured centre to £7million.

To date, Waverley Borough Council has recovered £118,000 in claims from contractors, which it will use to put right some of the defects.

Waverley will also be looking to recoup the costs of the remaining defects.

An area of aluminium roof in need of repair is directly above the squash court.

Leaks from this section of the roof have led to a need for further redecoration work and realignment of glass doors.

Various other minor repairs required at the centre include removal of rust on the painted steel columns and grouting of tiles in changing areas.

This work is proposed by officers to be carried out during the centre's "quieter period" of July to August this year.

The committee agreed that minor remedial work should be carried out at the centre and that specialist engineers should be appointed to undertake the soil nailing work.

It was also agreed that further investigations and monitoring work should be carried out at the centre, with any future repair work being carried out "when the monies become available".

Leader of the council, David Harmer said: "The action we have taken represents the most realistic settlement we can achieve.

"I regret that it has taken so long to resolve the outstanding matters, but hopefully we can now draw a line under this issue."