Wellingborough leisure centre could be rebuilt at a cost of £8.5 million

A Wellingborough leisure centre could be rebuilt at a cost of £8.5 million.

Redwell Leisure Centre has been operational for more than 25 years but with the building starting to show its age, Wellingborough Council is looking at options for its future.

If the facility was rebuilt, the proposed scheme includes providing an indoor community leisure and well-being hub with provision for a sports hall, gym, studio spaces for leisure classes and health sessions, with scope for the addition of a swimming pool at a later date.

Earlier this year, the council's services committee decided that a new build was the preferred option.

The indicative costs of providing a new leisure building in the centre's existing grounds are £8.5 million.

However, a report prepared for councillors says further information needs to be gathered and assessed before a definitive cost can be proposed.

The only capital currently allocated to such a scheme is through the section 106 programme for Wellingborough North.

It says: "The S106 agreement for Wellingborough North (Glenvale Park) secures a contribution of £1.466 million (index linked) to be used to provide new and/or improving existing and/or enhancing existing indoor sports facilities at Redwell Leisure Centre.

"The council's current housing trajectory estimates that this will be due in phases up until 2028.

"Therefore capital funding is likely to be required to forward fund the scheme in advance of S106 contributions."

Without investing in the leisure centre, the report says there is a high risk it will fail to meet health and safety standards and would be at risk of closure or an unknown level of 'unbudgeted reactive maintenance costs to secure a minimum standard of operation.'

The report goes on to say: "The centre would provide a sports and well-being centre to the north of the town, catering for existing and new populations and acting as a community health and well-being hub.

"This is a unique opportunity for this council to create a leisure centre for people to use for their health and well-being needs."

Councillors will be asked to resolve a new build as the preferred option through which to deliver future leisure services from the Redwell site.

They will be asked to resolve several other matters, including that the project is considered for addition to the capital programme in principle with more detailed costs to be presented at a future resources committee meeting.

And that an allowance for fees of £100,000 is made in order to progress the project is added to the capital programme.

The resources committee will meet at 7pm tonight (Wednesday) at Swanspool House in Wellingborough.