South Holland’s top leisure complex – Spalding’s Castle Sports Complex – has been declared not fit for purpose.
That will perhaps come as no surprise to users of the swimming pool in Pinchbeck Road or the site’s ‘dry side’ in Albion Street.
The complex is well used – with more than 306,000 visits during the last financial year – but expenditure on the main sports hall was twice the budgeted amount at £601,000.
The vast majority of users are likely to welcome fresh consideration of either a new-build – removing the current problems of facilities on a split site (main hall and swimming pool) – or a major refurbishment.
A task group of district councillors has been examining the facilities, which includes Castle Field, and on Tuesday will tell the cabinet that “the building itself is inflexible in terms of changes to current leisure trends and sports provision”.
The report says: “While the buildings are structurally sound but they are not fit for purpose.
“They are not energy efficient and the life of the major components such as roofs and boilers are limited.
“It should be noted that the pool was opened in 1974, is costly to run and major works to the building would be required to make it efficient and compliant in the future.
“This is only exacerbated by the fact that the site is split in two, making overheads and staffing costly.”
The task group has visited new-builds and revamped facilities in Lincolnshire and Norfolk to gain an understanding of what can be done – and at what cost.
A review of the Castle Sports Complex’s future was last carried out in 2011, but progress was shelved amid the financial hardships.
Estimates then were:
£3.78million for refurbish-ment of the main leisure centre and swimming pool
£8.7million for new pool, gym facilities and refurbishment of sports hall
£11.3million for complete replacement of all facilities
Selling the whole site for development to help fund a new leisure centre elsewhere in the town was mooted as a possibility last time.
Spalding resident Rodney Marks has been a user of both sites over the past 39 years, and goes swimming up to three times a week.
Given the likely costs, he said: “I’m in a quandary over what’s best [a rebuild or refurbishment].
“A refurb would still need the building to be closed for probably a year and it would be a shame to lose a facility like that.”
The councillors in the task group are George Aley (chairman), Graham Dark, Roger Perkins (vice-chairman), Sally Slade, Liz Sneath, Sarah Wilkinson and Anthony Casson.
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