Gedling Borough Council has published a report that recommends further feasibility work for a new Carlton Leisure and Community Wellbeing Centre as part of a strategic review of its community facilities.
The council conducted a strategic leisure review of its community facilities including its five leisure centres, its playing pitches and parks and open spaces. The second phase of the report aims to create a new understanding of how the council can provide a sustainable delivery of local play, physical activity, leisure, sport, wellbeing, and community services for its residents.
The report, which will be presented to Cabinet members on Wednesday 17 July, seeks to enhance the council’s current leisure offer through new sites while ensuring longer-term financial sustainability.
It proposes developing a comprehensive business case for new, state-of-the-art facilities, which will significantly benefit the local community by providing improved health, fitness, and cultural amenities.
The report also highlights a review to improve and enhance leisure facilities for the Arnold area with a new facility offering a swimming pool, gym, and studios, alongside a separate venue for the Bonington Theatre to increase its visibility. A vision for these new facilities is at the core of the recently announced plans for Ambition Arnold, which is looking at how the town centre could be improved.
The report suggests that the creation of the new leisure centres in Arnold and Carlton could save the council in the region of £1.2million per year in ongoing costs.
The Cabinet have agreed to approve a budget of £500,000 to develop a feasibility study for a new Carlton Leisure Centre and Community Wellbeing Centre. They also agreed to create a project board and team to develop the plans for the new centres.
A consultation on all the proposals will be conducted and residents and local businesses will be able to have their say on any plans going forward.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke MBE, said:
“We are very excited to announce plans to look into creating new and improved leisure centres in Arnold and Carlton. We have conducted one of the most comprehensive reviews of our leisure services for years and the findings are clear that we need some new state-of-the-art centres that will meet the needs of our growing community.
We want to be clear that this means business as usual, we are looking at the feasibility of these new centres being created, which would all be subject to getting the appropriate funding. I am sure that residents in Carlton and Arnold will be delighted to see the council’s ambitious vision for enhancing community wellbeing and the financial sustainability of its services to support that.”
