There is hope that the rebuild of a leisure centre could be completed by spring 2027 after delays in the project.
Bramcote Leisure Centre is due to be replaced by a completely new building after Broxtowe Borough Council approved a plan to renew the site in 2024.
That same year, the authority spent around £200,000 on repairing the existing 1960s leisure centre, where the use of unsafe RAAC concrete posed a risk of falling debris.
The plan is for the current centre to remain open while the new centre is built on the current car park. It was thought that building works for the fresh site would start in spring 2025 but this has been delayed.
Now, the leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, Milan Radulovic (Brox Alliance), says he hopes the new centre will be ready to open by May 2027.
In February 2025, the BBC reported concerns that Bramcote Swimming Club might have to relocate some of its sessions due to issues with the pool’s depth.
The pool depth in the plans was increased from 1.3 metres to 1.8 metres but 2 metres were required in the artistic swimming section for training.
The original design for the spectator section would have also caused issues for those involved in swimming competitions and for people who wanted to watch. At the existing centre, banked seating follows the length of the main pool but original plans wanted to make the new spectator section smaller and enclosed next to the training pool.
These various problems have meant plans have had to be redrawn which has set back the goal for planning permission to be granted and building to start.
In Broxtowe Borough Council’s full council meeting on Wednesday (October 15), Councillor Helen Faccio (Lab) asked for an “update on where [the council are] with the rebuild of Bramcote Leisure Centre”.
Cllr Teresa Cullen (Brox Alliance), portfolio for health and leisure, responded that the project has been delayed “because [the council] has listened to what people have said” regarding the pool depth and seating area.
She added: “It’s going to [the planning committee] in December [2025]. It’s on track. It will be built and it will be built for the future and with the specifications residents wanted.”
Cllr Radulovic said he anticipates a “15-month build-out” period for the new centre and it is his “desire” that it will be ready to open in May 2027.
Cllr Cullen said: “I’m told we will be well into the build by next summer.
“The delay was inevitable and I’m really grateful to the local residents first, for campaigning for it. They wanted it the way they wanted it and it makes absolute sense to me.”
She added “the plans are beautiful” as well as being modern and efficient.
The new centre will include a six-lane pool and a teaching pool with proposals also including a new car park and reception area.
The formal reworked plans are set to be decided by the authority’s planning committee in December.
