Green light for new sports hall to replace ‘obsolete’ leisure centre

Plans to replace an “uninspiring” and “obsolete” Nottinghamshire leisure centre have taken a major step forward.

Ashfield District Council has given the formal go ahead for the building of a new sports centre at Selston High School, off Chapel Road, with the build set to include fitness and activity studios.

It is the latest phase of a wider project for the site that began last year and will see the current “outdated” leisure centre demolished.

Last year, the district council agreed to spend £1 million on sprucing up sports facilities at the school in a bid to make them more accessible to residents in Selston.

The Two Counties Trust project, which runs the school, said the money in its first phase would be spent on a new “high-quality” four-court sports hall with studio space.

Phase two plans were unveiled in February this year and included using part of the school’s central courtyard to create a new dining room, kitchen and upgraded library.

Phase three of the scheme relates to refurbishing the school’s alternative provision facilities, with the demolition – earmarked as phase four – then taking place. This was approved by officials in early August.

The replacement sports centre being built on site will also include changing facilities and office facilities, the Two Counties Trust said.

In planning documents, the trust said: “The project is not simply the construction of a replacement sports hall but forms part of a comprehensive site reorganisation that includes the removal of the obsolete leisure centre, improvements to safeguarding arrangements, improved vehicle circulation and the provision of additional parking to meet the operational requirements of a modern secondary school.”

According to documents, some nearby residents described plans for the building as appearing “industrial in nature” and some were concerned about how close the new hall would be to residences on Mansfield Road.

The trust says the proposed location of the hall, in the north-east of the school site next to the existing school playing field, provides the “most effective arrangement”, in terms of educational requirements, site circulation, safeguarding considerations and ease of construction.

Plans state that at the closest point, the new hall would be just under 75 metres from the nearest homes.
Five out of the six outdoor playing courts will be retained.

It is aimed that its creation will provide better community facilities in Selston, allowing residents to use the hall in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays.