By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
A new training pool currently being built at Hucknall Leisure Centre is expected to open to swimmers for the first time in June.
Ashfield District Council granted planning consent for the pool in December 2021, with the upgrades costing around £5m as part of a broader £22.5m leisure investment.
This included the £15.5m new Kirkby Leisure Centre, which opened last year in place of the now-demolished former Festival Hall site.
The multi-million-pound Hucknall investment will see a second pool brought to the Linby Road site on land where part of the car park used to sit.
The council has confirmed the new pool will be a ‘training pool’ and not a full-size swimming facility.
Existing district-wide leisure provider Everyone Active will continue to run the upgraded facility once the new pool is complete.
Now the council and its leader have both confirmed the pool is due to open in June.
Speaking in a full council meeting on Thursday (May 25), Cllr Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), leader of the council, said: “Two years ago, we stood where Kirkby Leisure Centre is to sign the new steel frames as they were erected.
“This centre was promised for almost 100 years but was delivered in just four.
“Now, next month, our new pool opens at Hucknall.”
Speaking after the meeting, a council spokesperson said specific details for the opening plans are not yet “set in stone”.
However, a celebratory opening ceremony is likely to take place around the weekend of Saturday, July 15, though the pool is expected to open earlier than this date.
Once open, the redeveloped building will also include solar panels, providing what the authority says is an “opportunity to utilise renewable energy”.
This will be used to power essential building demands including lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
The upgraded centre will also feature electric vehicle charging points.
The plans were given cross-party support when the authority’s planning committee approved the redevelopment nearly 18 months ago.
Speaking in the December 2021 committee, Cllr Phil Rostance (Con), who represents Hucknall West, said: “Credit where credit is due.
“Big thanks go to the administration and the authority for following through with this plan.
“Hucknall is in desperate need of the new pool and this is exactly what this will provide, so I’m in full support of this.
“The building itself won’t win any prizes for grand designs, but its functionality and what it will provide for the people of Hucknall is absolutely fantastic.”
The council’s wider £22.5m leisure investment also included improvements to Lammas Leisure Centre in Sutton.
These improvements, completed more than a year ago, included new TAGactive soft play equipment and autism-friendly lighting across the centre.
