Calls grow for people behind Spalding Castle Sports complex transformation to meet with concerned clubs and businesses

Fitness classes will be moving to a town centre location during a £26 million transformation of an ageing leisure centre - as pressure grows on organisers to meet with groups and business who have been affected by the project.

South Holland District Council is overseeing a major revamp of Spalding’s Castle Sports Complex which will include new swimming pools and 3G pitches, after securing a £20million Levelling Up grant last year.

The Health and Wellbeing Hub project was due to be going before the council’s planning committee in November but Spalding councillor Gary Taylor has confirmed that it will now be debated at the January meeting.

He also told Wednesday’s full council meeting that fitness classes will be held at the Boston College Campus in the Red Lion Quarter once building work starts and that the old pool will remain open until the new ones are ready to be used.

But calls were made for the portfolio holder for community development to meet with clubs and businesses which are growing concerned about the changes - which includes making the swimming pool floor fixed rather than flexible.

Coun Mark Le Sage, who started by thanking Coun Taylor and his team for their hard work, went onto say: “Could I ask you to arrange a meeting with you and your team and the clubs that use the pool before Christmas to allay their fears regarding the changes that have been announced.”

Concerns about businesses were raised by Coun Ingrid Sheard.

She said: “With the delay to the start of the health and wellbeing hub, have you considered the people who have prematurely given up their jobs or prematurely moved their premises away from our facility.

“A couple of them have approached me to say how disappointed and dismayed they are and the detrimental impact of having to move early and it would have possibly been a case that they could have waited.”

Coun Taylor told the meeting that planning application was ‘close’ in November but the committee meeting didn’t take place so it should be appearing at the January session.

Coun Taylor went onto say that there will be no gap in swimming provision as swimmers will be able to continue to use the old pool until the new one is ready.

He also said that Boston College and Parkwood Leisure have also worked together to ensure there will also be no gaps in fitness class provision as they will be using the Red Lion Quarter - which was also constructed in a council project over a decade ago.

Coun Taylor added: “We do need to listen to feedback from those that use the pool.”

He also told Coun Sheard that this was the first time he had heard of the issues with people giving up jobs or moving their businesses.

Coun Taylor also stressed that the debate on the planning application was only a ‘few weeks’.

He said: “It is disappointing that businesses have this concern. Please ask them to contact us with any questions or concerns and we would try to deal with that because we also want local businesses to support this new project.”

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