No end yet in sight for repair of leaky pool, as Southwell Leisure Centre Trust confirms facility remains in ‘difficult’ financial position

A town’s leisure centre is still in a ‘difficult’ financial position, a trust has confirmed.

Southwell Leisure Centre Trust regained control of the facility from Newark and Sherwood District Council earlier this year, following successful mediation between the two parties.

It aimed to end a lengthy saga over the future of the swimming pool which has been closed since October 2023, when a 9,000-litres-a-day leak was discovered.

Newark and Sherwood District Council, which had taken over the lease for the centre after the pandemic, initially announced plans for a £5.5million investment in an entirely new facility to replace the older pool — but this failed to reach an agreement with the trustees and residents, resulting the authority offering to provide the trust with £247,000 it had claimed was required to repair the pool, and a further £250,000 for essential dryside repairs, conditional upon it exiting the lease.

However, while the transfer of control back to the trust was successful, it is not yet the end of the difficulties in the pool re-opening.

In a blog post in June the trust confirmed “repair works are now underway”, and in March an update stated the trust hoped that everything would be “up and running again ahead of the 60th anniversary of the leisure centre later this year”.

However, the latest update, shared last week by trust chairman Andrew Wilson, stated: “In June, we began essential underground investigations around the pool to uncover the source of the structural problems. These initial checks allowed us to engage with some pool specialists who have come up with outline solutions design. However, further investigation is required to ensure that these designs are viable.”

As part of its plans for the future of the centre, it plans to appoint a new long-term operator. This operator, the update explained, would also take on the responsibility for the repair process. A handover is hoped to take place early next year.

The trust’s update explained that it began the tender process for a new operator last week.

Active4Today, which is Newark and Sherwood District Council’s chosen leisure operator and ran the centre while it held the lease, had previously agreed to continue daily operations until March 31, 2026.

Despite these plans and changes, the update also highlighted the leisure centre’s ongoing financial struggles.

It stated “the impact of the pandemic, increased running costs, and the ongoing pool closure continue to present significant challenges” and encouraged residents to become Active4Today members to provide “essential, regular income that helps keep the centre running”.

“We know how important Southwell Leisure Centre is to our community — not just as a place to exercise, but as a place to connect, learn, and thrive. With your continued support, we believe we can protect and grow this important local facility for many years to come,” the blog post added.