THE MULTI-million pound revamp of Leamington and Warwick’s leisure centres is set to start in January.
Newbold Comyn and St Nicholas Park will become state of the art facilities over the next year under Warwick District Council’s plans to completely refurbish and extend the two sites.
The plans were given the green light in July and council chiefs are hoping to start works in January with both centres closing in December – St Nicholas Park on December 12 and Newbold on December 31.
The decision to have ‘village’ changing facilities at both sites caused controversy among some customers but WDC say they have included extra changing cubicles, group changing rooms and shower cubicles after listening to concerns.
Council leader Andrew Mobbs is hoping the changing rooms will make the leisure centres safer for families who come to swim.
Newbold Comyn in Leamington is set to see the biggest changes with a new sports hall extension and a ‘clip and climb’ wall installed in the reception area. It is hoped the climbing wall feature will encourage more people to take on the larger climbing wall at St Nicholas Park.
Gym facilities and fitness studios will become a bigger feature at St Nicholas Park. The current gym will be turned into a spinning studio and an extension will create space for two new studios and an 80 station gym.
The plans mean the aging splash pool in Warwick will be lost, but the council is keen to encourage parents to take youngsters to the more modern children’s pool at Newbold Comyn.
Although both pools will be closed at the same time for a few months, people can expect to dive in the pool again at Newbold in June and at St Nicholas Park in November.
The team behind the plans are working on relocating clubs which use the pools on a regular basis while the works are completed.
Both pools were built over 20 years ago and the council are hoping their investment of some £14million – including a £2million grant from Sport England – will ensure the facilities are fit for use for the next 30 years.
Warwick District Council will discuss the plans on Wednesday (November 16). If they are approved it is hoped both leisure centres will reopen in November 2017.
