New £5.5m Southwell pool plans scrapped as Newark & Sherwood Council blames trust’s ‘intransigence’
Newark & Sherwood councillors have said they are ‘really disappointed’ after plans to build a £5.5m new swimming pool in Southwell fell through.
The council said the ‘intransigence’ of the Southwell Leisure Centre Trust, which owns the land where it was to be built, was to blame for the collapse.
The council had promised to build a replacement swimming pool after the old one was closed for safety reasons, in exchange for a transfer of the land.
But after five months of delays, the authority will instead put £497,000 towards repairs of the existing pool and leisure centre, which they run as tenants.
The charitable trust has not transferred ownership of the land next to the leisure centre, saying it needed permission from the Charity Commission.
Coun Paul Peacock (Lab), council leader, said there had been ‘a considerable amount of misinformation’ over the council’s plans.
He told a cabinet meeting on May 14: “Conspiracy theories about our intentions should reflect on our commitment to the leisure centre over the last 20 years.
“Far from being bullies, the council has been nothing but supportive.
“However, good councils listen to public opinion and local people have told us what they want.”
He claimed that he thought the ‘logjam’ in negotiations had been broken three or four times, only for new problems to crop up.
The £5.5m will be reallocated to other projects aimed at improving residents’ health and wellbeing.
The council stepped in to save the leisure centre from closure during the Covid pandemic, and says it has invested more than £4m in repairs to date.
The trust is made up of members of Southwell Council and Newark & Sherwood Council, who are prevented on voting on matters relating to the district council.
Coun Keith Melton (Lib Dem) recently resigned from the trust to prevent a conflict of interest while discussions were under way.
He blamed the ‘intransigence of trust over long period of time’ for the collapse.
Coun Rhona Hollaway (Con) said: “Residents will be devastated, a lot of people been looking forward to new pool.”
Southwell councillor Peter Harris (Lib Dem) claimed the deal could have been approached better, saying: “Not just one side but both sides caused problems here.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has attempted to contact the trust for comment.