New state of the art swimming pool gears up for June opening in Ollerton

Newark & Sherwood District Council has confirmed the five-lane pool at the Dukeries Leisure Centre will open at the end of June.

In addition to the existing fitness suite, sports hall and exercise studios, visitors will benefit from a fully accessible, 20x10-metre swimming pool with its own unisex changing village and spectator area.

Coun Roger Jackson, chairman of leisure and environment committee, said: “Leisure centres across the country are recovering from months of closure and despite a challenging year, we have forged ahead with the construction work to improve the health and well-being of everyone in the area, both now and into the future.

“Ollerton and Boughton is the largest population centre in Sherwood and the previous leisure facilities simply would not accommodate the needs of the growing number of inhabitants. Our residents deserve and need a top class leisure facility and I’m thrilled we’re just weeks away from opening.”

Andy Carolan – managing director of Active4Today, the council’s own leisure company – said he was ‘really excited’ there will ‘shortly be a swimming provision back in Ollerton for the local community to enjoy’.

He said: “This is a significant resource for the community and will benefit both young and old. We are hoping that the new pool will also meet the needs of the local schools and they too can return to using local facilities for their curriculum use.”

Up until July 2017, Ollerton residents 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.

Since then, wetside facilities were provided at other sites including South Forest Leisure Centre in Edwinstowe as well as Wellow House School.

But to ensure residents were provided with a long-term solution, the district council submitted a planning application for the new pool in October 2019 as part of a major investment programme in leisure facilities.

The pool project has also received backing from Sport England, which has committed a capital grant of £250,000 from its Community Asset Fund.