Exciting plans for two new swimming pools are unveiled

New swimming pools could be built in two towns under exciting plans revealed by West Norfolk Council today.Options to build up-to-date health, swim and fitness facilities in Lynn and Hunstanton are set to be considered by the borough council’s cabinet next month.Lynn’s St James Swimming Pool, which opened in 1975, and Hunstanton’s Oasis Leisure Centre, which opened in 1984, are at the end of their economic lives and increasingly expensive to run, according to an initial assessment undertaken by the authority.

The assessment found that both have high energy costs and carbon emissions due to their age and inefficient design, and will require significant investment to keep them running in the coming years.The council is working to increase physical activity levels in the borough, which are lower than the national average.On December 10, its cabinet will consider a report recommending further feasibility work, providing more detail on two options:

• Build a new, modern swimming pool at Lynnsport, or an alternative town centre location, to replace St James Swimming Pool. • Build a new, modern Oasis Leisure Centre, at or near Hunstanton seafront.The cabinet is being asked to agree to more detailed analysis and consideration of these options to help councillors make an informed decision on the best way forward for the borough. The next stage would include more detailed work on planning, design, costs, funding opportunities and business plans, transport considerations and timescales, and engagement with key stakeholders and the wider community.The borough’s leisure facilities need a £1.4million subsidy to run each year and account for almost 40% of the council’s overall carbon emissions.The St James centre alone will need further investment of more than £2million simply to remain open over the next three years, the council has said. Cllr Simon Ring, deputy leader and cabinet member for business and culture, said: “We want to enable more residents to lead healthy, active lifestyles, to address health inequalities and tackle climate change.“Like other councils in our area and across the country, I feel we need to invest to offer attractive, modern, sustainable health and fitness facilities that will significantly increase usage but will be considerably cheaper to run and maintain.“St James’ and the Oasis have served our communities well for decades, but they’re ageing centres of their time, increasingly unable to meet modern user expectations or needs, and come at ever-rising costs, both financially and environmentally.“To do nothing will simply result in centres closing when they become too costly to repair.” He added: “We now have an exciting opportunity to invest in delivering truly sustainable, modern health, swim and fitness facilities for our communities to help promote active lifestyles and wellbeing, meeting the local needs of today and those of future generations.“This is, initially, a matter for cabinet and no decisions have been made yet.“We know that people might have questions – many we can’t yet answer – but we are at the start of a potentially significant and exciting process and the next step, if cabinet takes it, will be to get those facts so we can make an informed decision about the best way forward for the borough.”The report will be considered at a joint panel meeting on December 3, prior to cabinet the following week.