New pool for Chatteris among suggestions for better leisure facilities

Councillors are being asked to consider investment in the area’s leisure centres at a “significant and unprecedented scale” not previously undertaken.

A report drafted by officers on possible investment in the leisure centres in March, Chatteris, Wisbech and Whittlesey, includes the addition of a swimming pool at one centre and a remodel of another.

The report, asked for by councillors, will go to Fenland District Council’s Cabinet meeting on Monday before then going to full council.

Councillors asked officers and the portfolio holder for leisure, Cllr Alex Miscandlon, to assess the district leisure centres and develop a planned investment programme to ensure the facilities are fit for purpose for the future.

The report highlights the costs of potential projects across all four centres and offers the Cabinet various options to move forwards with.

A survey of the condition of the Hudson, Manor, and George Campbell centres carried out in 2021 identified a raft of work needed just to maintain their condition.

In total more than £10million of work was identified and so far £1million of capital work has been carried out meaning there is still £9.155million of work outstanding.

The report adds: “Given the value of the capital work options for the leisure centres, members need to give serious consideration to the financial impact, potential financial risks and overall affordability as a part of their considerations of this report. Therefore, the financial cost of each potential option is emphasised, whilst noting the community benefit that any enhancement would bring.”

Changes in local government, which are likely to see the abolishment of Fenland Council in 2028, also has to be considered when members look at the projects suggested.

The council currently has budgeted £2.160million for the essential works and that included the recently completed energy efficiency work, which saw new boilers fitted.

The report points out: “Therefore, an additional circa £7million of condition survey work is required just to keep the centres in good working order in the next five years before any additional investment in improved facilities is considered.”

A recent survey carried out at the much newer Chatteris centre identified a further £50,000 of work.

The report continues: “The financial investment outlined in the report for leisure is significant and unprecedented and at a scale not undertaken previously. Members need to consider any investment in leisure centres alongside any other potential aspirations for other Fenland Inspire projects given the large scale financial investment required.”

Recommendations in the report includes approving moving forward with the significant refurbishment project at the Manor Leisure Centre.

The option being put forward is to demolish the existing sports hall building, which needs a new roof at a cost of at least £500,000, with the facilities then being added to the swimming pool building.

A completely new leisure centre has been ruled out because of the £25million price tag.

Cabinet are being asked to approve the necessary preliminary plan of works stages up to stage 4 which will cost £626,463. Once that is complete Cabinet will decide to either recommend to full council to proceed with a new sports all at an estimated cost of £13.49million or to halt the project.

The recommendation for Chatteris is to approve the £50,000 for the necessary repairs and then to consider “carefully” the Chatteris swimming pool project – and to approve the spending of £164,482 on the first few stages of the works programme plan – which will look at the viability and costings.

The report says: “A swimming pool will fit on the footprint of the land adjacent to the current leisure centre. The land is in the ownership of Cambridgeshire County Council and the current Chatteris Leisure Centre lease would need adjusting to reflect the additional land required and what it is to be used for. This work will need to be undertaken initially, alongside consultation with Cromwell School to avoid any abortive works in the case of a lease being refused.”

The swimming pool proposed would be a 25m x 4 lane deck level pool, with a swimming customer only changing village. It would be suitable for all manner of swimming from baby sessions all the way through to competitive club swimming.

The report points out: “There are considerable upfront costs to develop both these proposals prior to any construction work commencing, therefore before commissioning works to develop these proposals, members need to have a high level of certainty that they are committed to delivering these projects to the final stages of completion and opening to the public otherwise there will be sunk cost.”

Funding for many of the projects will come through borrowing – the costs of which would be partially off-set by income from the leisure centres.

At the George Campbell the recommendation is for Cabinet to agree to fund a number of short-term projects at a cost of £390,000.

There is also a suggestion on spending around £2million on further improvements these include remodelling the reception and the two old swimming pool changing rooms into a cafe space, an advanced spin studio and increasing the space of studio one to make it more flexible.

The recommendations for the Hudson are for both short term and medium term improvements. Spending already identified includes £450,000 on Padel courts (indoor smaller tennis courts), plus a further £2million on condition survey work.

It also recommends that officers and the portfolio holder look at further refurbishment options for the centre.

While the Hudson in Wisbech the suggestion is to add three external, covered Padel tennis courts at a cost of £450,000, adapt a multi-function space that is currently used for spinning into an assisted fitness and older persons health and wellbeing space, and to make use of unused space in the gym for activity rooms for boxfit, circuit training and spin.

In the medium term the Cabinet is being asked to consider the addition of a kitchen space to generate additional income from soft play parties, remodel the sports hall and possible soft play improvements and to consider further uses for the sports hall linked with a new cafe.

Cabinet is also told “to note that agreement to pursue any of the projects above is subject to full council approval of the budget on February 24 2025”.

The report points out: “Members may wish to agree to all, none or a combination of the proposals, noting that the condition survey works are essential to the operational integrity of the centres and cannot be easily avoided if members wish the centres to remain open.

“Of course, in some cases, these condition works will be superseded by new capital investment if selected by members e.g. the Manor Sports Hall roof will not be replaced if a new single refurbished site is selected as an option.”