Designs submitted for new leisure centre

Designs for a new leisure centre in Carlton have been submitted.

Gedling Borough Council wants the Carlton Active centre to be built on land off Foxhill Road, where the Richard Herrod Centre currently stands.

The Carlton Active project involves demolishing the Richard Herrod Centre - the authority submitted formal plans outlining its intention to knock down the building last month.

Planning documents said the new building would have a smaller footprint than the current centre and would be built further south on the site, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Detailed drawings reveal the ground floor will include an eight-lane swimming pool, a teaching pool, changing rooms, a cafe, a soft play area, a community room, and a studio with power-assisted equipment and toilets.

The first floor would house a gym, two studios, changing and toilet facilities, and the viewing area for the pool.

The Richard Herrod Centre served the community for decades, housing a dry ski slope between the 1960s and 1990s and acting as the home of Gedling Indoor Bowls Club from 1987 until 2026.

The borough council has been criticised for its decision not to include an indoor bowls facility in the Carlton Active project, despite it having been originally considered in the proposals.

It meant the 300-member-strong Gedling Indoor Bowls Club was effectively displaced from the end of April, with no solid alternative location to move into.

Those involved have previously expressed concern for the health and wellbeing of club members, many of whom are older, fearing some could be left "isolated".

Current planning documents for the project said the construction costs of including an indoor bowls hall in such plans were "substantial", as it required a site with clear spans, high ceilings, and environmental controls.

Documents said: "When assessed alongside the overall project budget, the addition of a 3-rink, 4-rink or 6-rink facility would result in a level of cost that would render the scheme unaffordable and place the wider development at financial risk."

Henry Wheeler, portfolio holder for lifestyles, health and wellbeing at the council, previously told the authority's cabinet that a six-rink bowls facility in the plans would add between £5.6m and £7.7m to capital costs, leaving the council a subsidy of about £500,000 a year.

Opposition councillor, Sam Smith, told the LDRS in July the project was a "complete white elephant" and criticised the authority for pushing ahead with the plans despite local government reorganisation happening in the county, which will involve two new unitary authorities being created, including one which will now include Nottingham and parts of Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe - and the other containing the rest of the county.

Demolition work is expected to start at the Richard Herrod Centre on 28 September and is expected to be completed by November or December.

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