“You can’t please everybody!” Spalding Castle Sports Complex plans prioritise improving health of greatest number of residents - South Holland District Council leader

The £26 million makeover of Spalding’s Castle Sports Complex will bring vital health boosts to the wider community, it has been claimed.

The vision to transform the town centre took a step closer to becoming reality last week as the planning application was officially submitted to South Holland District Council.

SHDC leader Coun Nick Worth admits that the plans ‘can’t please everybody’, but argues the authority’s responsibility is to improve the physical and mental health of as many of its residents as possible.

Plans include proposals for three new swimming pool facilities, including a large pool, a teaching pool and a splash pad – an area of little standing water which offers safe water play for youngsters - as well as a new 3G floodlit football pitch, changing pavilion and multi-use games area for a variety of sports.

Additionally, there will be community rooms and space dedicated for use to provide a health and wellbeing hub, as well as an extra care housing scheme for the district's older residents on the site of the current pool.

Coun James Le Sage - a qualified swimming coach and lifeguard - had previously called on the council to include provisions for an Olympic-length 50m pool to ‘get South Holland on the map in terms of competitive swimming’.

“At the end of the day, not everybody will get what they want,” Coun Worth said.

“You can’t please everybody. The point I make to most people is that as a district council we’re there to provide facilities for the community.

“As much as we’d like to provide facilities for elite people in elite sports - we’ve done it in the past, opened up swimming pools at 5am so swimming clubs can come in and get their training before everybody else - you have to get the balance correct.

“Between having a six lane swimming pool and a big learner pool, my view is we need to be encouraging as many people to swim as possible. For us, that’s our role.”

Coun Worth also pointed to the health and wellbeing hub and community gardens as examples of measures needed to battle the growing concerns regarding mental health issues within society.

“It’s becoming a real major issue, so we’ll do anything we can to help with that,” he added.

“Our community gardens and a bit of open space also mean people will have a nice place to walk around.”

The Castle Sports Complex’s overhaul will be funded by a £20 million injection of government Levelling Up cash and £6 million of council funds, aided by section 106 money.

Coun Worth confirmed the plans were being submitted on Friday (May 17), adding: “That’s good news. It’s a massive project and quite a challenge. It’s going to be quite exciting.”

After paperwork is submitted to SHDC’s planning department it will be verified by planning officers before being uploaded to the authority’s website in the coming weeks.

Here the public can add their comments to the plans.

“Separately, we also need to keep the Government informed of how we spend every penny as it’s their money,” Coun Worth added.

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