Ollerton, Newark and Sherwood.

Faced with a structurally dangerous swimming pool and prohibitive capital refurbishment costs, this area of Nottinghamshire needed ReCreation’s help to build a high-quality and cost-effective swimming facility.

Objective

To provide a community swimming facility at a shared, previously ‘dry only’ (i.e. no swimming facility) local authority leisure centre and Academy school site in the domain of Newark & Sherwood District Council.

Situated in a deprived area of the district, the Academy was forced to close its pool in 2016 after it become structurally dangerous and too costly to refurbish. This area of Nottinghamshire was therefore faced with no replacement swimming pool for its school and community.

A swimming facility built using traditional means was assessed for its feasibility prior to 2016. At over £6.8m, this was significantly beyond the capital expenditure reach of the council and its local business case, which was £3m or less

Solutions

Working closely with the council client, its leisure operator and local planners, ReCreation’s professional design team were able to fulfil the brief exactly as desired with a 5-lane 20m pool, viewing area and changing village.

To improve efficiency and the total customer journey, we added a new, unified access route. This was provided by way of a glazed link building, including swipe-access turnstiles and a new reception area, serving both the existing dry-side leisure facilities and the new pool.

Challenges

  • Adjacent school swimming pool closed
    due to structural damage
  • Prohibitive refurbishment costs
  • No swimming in the local area for 5
    years
  • Current replacement costs £6.8m
    against a budget of £3m

Benefits

  • Healthier and improved community
    wellbeing
  • Significant capital saving on new
    facility for the client
  • Short construction time

Facts and Features

  • 20m 5-Lane Swimming Pool
  • Changing Village
  • Viewing area
  • Construction time – 14 months
  • Cost – £2.7m
  • Opened July 2021