Final approval set for district leisure centre upgrades

Planners at Warwick District Council are set to give the go-ahead two applications to more than double the size of the existing Newbold Comyn site, and extend St Nicholas Park centres. If the changes are approved at Tuesday’s meeting, building work could begin later this year.

A total of £12million was approved by the council last year to pay for the work which will be carried out over the next 18 months.

More than £3m of the total will be put into Warwick, with £5m for Newbold changes and the rest of the funds put into essential repair and upgrades to keep the facilities in use.

At Newbold, the application seeks approval to build into the current car park site to accommodate two new fitness studios and a dedicated spinning studio for cycle classes.

It will also feature a new 100-station gym, changing areas, four new sports courts, a sports hall, wet changing facilities, a climbing wall and three new sports studios.

The expansion will see the loss of the 18-space car park which will be moved to land on the other side of the pathway.

In Warwick, smaller scale plans seek permission to extend the current building with a two-storey extension, create a new foyer, wet and dry changing areas, a larger gym and new spinning studio.

Expansion would allow for activities shared across Myton School sports hall to move to one site but see a loss of parking outside the site.

For Newbold’s changes, two objections have been received raising safety concerns over unisex changing rooms.

In Warwick, town councillors and four objectors have called for more to be done over the loss of parking, and the toddler splash pool - both of which will be lost.

Cllr Sue Gallagher, portfolio holder for leisure said: “Warwick District Council has a great history of investing in leisure and these proposals are further evidence of the importance the council places on sports and fitness and the huge contribution it makes.”

The leisure investment is designed to keep ageing buildings in use for another 30 years and address the growing population which will come from 19,000 new houses by 2031.

Work is due for completion by the end of 2017 and will see both swimming pools closed for a short period - the end of 2016 at St Nics and early next year at Newbold.

Once the builds are complete, Warwick District Council, which owns the sites, will bring in a private management company to take over running of the centres.