Southwell Leisure Centre swimming pool repair works are underway

Repair works are now underway at a leisure centre’s swimming pool to get it ‘back up and running’ as soon as possible.

The Southwell Leisure Centre Trust has announced restoring the swimming pool is their ‘top priority’ and repair works are underway, with a re-opening date to be confirmed.

In March, it was announced that mediation had been successful between Southwell Leisure Centre Trust and Newark and Sherwood District Council, which ended a lengthy saga over the future of the swimming pool.

Southwell Leisure Centre Trust has also entered an agreement with Active4Today, who will continue to operate the centre on the Trust’s behalf until March next year.

In a statement, the Trust wrote: “Southwell Leisure Centre Trust has always had one purpose: to protect and promote leisure, health and wellbeing in Southwell and the surrounding villages.

“Now, as control returns to the Trust, the future of the leisure centre lies firmly in the hands of the community it serves.”

The pool had been closed since October 2023, when a 9,000-litres-a-day leak was discovered, and Newark and Sherwood District Council announced plans for a £5.5million investment in an entirely new facility to replace the older pool.

The council then agreed to provide the trust with £247,000 to repair the pool, as had previously been suggested to be sufficient, and a further £250,000 for essential dryside repairs.

A quote obtained by the trust expected the repair to cost around £500,000, and their position was that the council had a “legal obligation to repair” the pool as part of their lease.

Now, as the lease returned to the Trustees, they have started the work to repair the town’s main swimming pool within a year.

The statement added: “Our first and most urgent task is to get the swimming pool back up and running as soon as possible.

“We know how vital this facility is for families, schools, swim clubs, and everyone who relies on it for fitness and wellbeing.

“We’re pleased to confirm that repair works are now underway, and we are working closely with contractors to make the necessary improvements and reopen the pool.”

The Trustees said that their long-term vision for the future is to provide a welcoming, inclusive, and accessible centre for people of all ages and abilities; create a vibrant, community-owned hub for physical activity, social connection, and wellbeing; ensure the centre is financially secure and environmentally sustainable for future generations and to foster partnerships across schools, health services, sports clubs and local groups to enhance what’s on offer.”

The Trustees’ chairman, Andrew Wilson, said: “We are incredibly proud to bring Southwell Leisure Centre back under local control. But this is just the beginning.

“The long-term success of the centre depends on our community, on all of us. If we want to keep it open, modern, and thriving, we must use it, support it, and help shape its future together.”

In the months ahead, the Trust is looking to engage with residents, users, and local partners to shape the centre’s future.

There will be opportunities to volunteer, share ideas and get involved.