Now that councillors have confirmed that the new facility will be delivered on the existing site, the project can progress to the design and planning stage.
The outline specification for the facility was agreed upon as part of the Council’s Sports Facilities Investment Plan (SFIP), which was approved by the Policy & Resources Committee in July 2021, and will now be refined.
The proposed specification is as follows:
A 25m 8 lane short course competition pool with spectator seating.
A 25m 6 lane learner pool with a moveable floor.
A splash pad/'leisure water' for younger children.
A minimum 6-court sports hall.
Health and fitness facilities, including a minimum 100-station gym and interactive cycling studio.
Studios and group exercise space.
On-site car parking
Cafe.
This specification exceeds that of the current facility. For example, the current main pool has only 6 lanes, which will be expanded to 8 lanes for the new facility.
The gym for the current facility is very constrained, being located in the former café area. It has just 31 stations, much smaller than would be expected for a modern flagship sports and leisure facility.
Gym and fitness remains one of the most popular ways for people to be active in our city, and increasing the capacity and performance of our gyms will enable us to meet that need.
Another constraint of the current facility is that the sports halls are constructed directly above the 1930s swimming pools, which has dictated their size and shape. The halls do not meet Sport England or sports’ national governing body (NGB) requirements. The new sports hall will be designed to meet these requirements and those of the various sports and activities we envisage being played. There will also be spectator seating to enable us to host competitions and events.
Our intention remains to keep the current facility open and operating for as long as possible. We anticipate the new facility to be delivered at the western end of the site where the current car park is located. The exact details of the design and its location on the site will be developed between now and the summer of 2025.
The business case explored 2 development options for the site. The first of these used a stacked design with 2 levels of underground parking to enable the specification set out above to be accommodated in space occupying just 20% of the total site (occupying plot 1, shown below).
The second option used a lower-rise design with surface parking which occupies plots 1 and 2 and part of 3b.
Those options illustrate the maximum and minimum land use that would be required to deliver the new facility. The design that will be developed for summer 2025 will consider the most suitable proportion of land to be used to deliver a new facility that maximises specification but is cost-effective.
Designs will be shared with residents and key stakeholders before submitting the full planning application.
Delivering the new facility will be a major project that will require significant planning and preparation.
During the summer and autumn of 2024, we'll work to appoint the professional team that will lead the next stages of the project. This will include appointing the lead architect who will:
We would not expect any work to begin on site before early 2026 and the facility is not expected to open before spring 2028.