New Dukeries swimming pool set to make a splash

Plans for the pool have been been recommended for approval by Newark and Sherwood District Council’s leisure and environment committee.

If approved, the new pool is set to open in 2020,and will be located within the existing site in a separate building.

Up until July 2017, leisure centre members were able to use the adjacent Dukeries Academy School for swimming before the pool was deemed no longer fit-for-purpose by the Trust which runs the academy.

Until May this year, members were able to use the facilities of South Forest Leisure Centre in Edwinstowe.

Currently, facilities are provided to members two miles away from the Dukeries at Wellow House School but this is not considered to be a long-term solution.

With a 32 per cent population growth anticipated by 2026 in Ollerton and Boughton, a leisure facility in the area is needed to meet the expected rise in demand.

The leisure centre, which is run by the district council’s own leisure company, Active4Today, is situated next to an area of land earmarked for a new housing development site, with more than 200 new homes planned on land between Hallam Road and Stepnall Heights.

Councillor Roger Jackson, chairman of the leisure and environment committee, said: “Subject to approval, work on the new pool is scheduled to start in the spring of 2019. It is important that leisure facilities are accessible for everyone in the community and the provision of the new modular pool will ensure that the facility can be enjoyed for generations to come.

“Swimming is an important skill to be taught from a young age. Therefore, appropriate leisure facilities are vital and the district council is committed to responding to market conditions and future population growth across the district to ensure these services are available.”

The district council’s policy and finance committee will meet on Thursday (November 29) to discuss the plans which are recommended for approval.

In 2016, the council opened the new Newark Sports and Fitness Centre, to replace the previous Grove Leisure Centre which was no longer fit for purpose.

Since opening, the Newark centre, which has modern gym, swimming, sports hall, fitness studio and squash court facilities, has seen exceptional growth in both its adult and children’s memberships.

The centre, on Bowbridge Road in Newark, was also designed to accommodate the increasing number of residents in the area, with the nearby Middlebeck housing development currently under construction, with more housing planned on land next to the centre itself.

The council’s third centre at Blidworth also recently received significant investment to remove a wall between the reception area and the fitness suite to create a more attractive entrance space and to reduce managerial costs.