By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
An leaky pool will get a £5.5m replacement after the council found it was too old to keep fixing.
Southwell Leisure Centre’s main pool has been closed, and approval has been given for a new facility to be built on neighbouring land.
Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Cabinet heard on Tuesday (December 19) that repairs to the ageing facility would be costly and unlikely to succeed.
The new facilities – including a main swimming pool and a learner pool – will take around two years to build.
The current pool is around 60 years old, and was taken over by the council two years ago to save it from closure.
Leader Councillor Paul Peacock (Lab) told the meeting: “We acknowledge the concerns of local people to losing their pool – that is one of the reasons we are moving so quickly in replacing it.
“We will be holding a public meeting once we have more plans.
“Positive informal discussions have already taken place with the leisure centre trust and neighbouring landowners, and we will pursue this quickly in the New Year.
“We had delays with a replacement pool at Ollerton because of the legal wrangling – we need to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”
The pool on Nottingham Road was recently closed for investigations, and tests found a quarter of the water leaked out over the course of 13 days.
Camera surveys of the pipework found large amounts of rust, which ruled out repair options.
Business Manager Mark Eyre said: “Three companies refused to touch the pipework based on its condition – the rate of success would have been too low to even try.
“If nothing was done, it would have be highly likely to fail within the next five years due to age.”
Councillor Paul Taylor (Lab), the Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations, said: “I’m really pleased we’re in a position to make this commitment.
“We had no choice but to close it, as it wasn’t safe. But we will make sure the people of Southwell have swimming facilities again as soon as they can.
“There is the opportunity for a full leisure centre rebuild in the future.”
Chief executive John Robinson said: “2,000 swimming pools will be lost by the end of the decade – many are similar facilities built in the 60s and 70s which haven’t had the required refurbishment.
“We are bucking the national trend by opening a new swimming pool, not closing one.”
Councillor Lee Brazier (Lab) said: “I’m glad Southwell won’t be waiting for four years for a new swimming pool the way we were in Ollerton.”
The dryside facilities and learner pool will remain open while work is taking place.
