Designs for Carlton’s incoming brand-new leisure centre have been submitted.
Gedling Borough Council wants the Carlton Active centre to be built on land off Foxhill Road, where the Richard Herrod Centre currently stands.
That leisure centre has served the community for decades, housing a dry ski slope between the 1960s and 1990s and acting as the home of Gedling Indoor Bowls club from 1987 until 2026.
It closed its doors at the start of May this year, following the bowl club’s lease expiring, and to make way for the council’s nearly £30 million replacement building.
The Carlton Active project involves demolishing the Richard Herrod and the Carlton Forum site, deemed “not fit for purpose”, where the authority submitted formal plans outlining its intention to knock down the building around mid July.
Planning documents say the new building would have a smaller footprint than the current centre and would be built further south on the site.
Detailed drawings reveal that the ground floor will include an eight-lane swimming pool, a teaching pool, changing rooms, a café, a soft play area, a community room, and a studio with power-assisted equipment and toilets.
The first floor would house a gym, two studios, changing and toilet facilities, and the viewing area for the pool.
Gedling Borough Council has been criticised for its decision not to include an indoor bowls facility in the Carlton Active project, despite it having been originally considered in the proposals.
It meant the 300-member-strong Gedling Indoor Bowls Club was effectively displaced from the end of April, with no solid alternative location to move into.
Those involved have previously expressed concern for the health and well-being of club members, many of whom are older, fearing some could be left “isolated”.
Ian Summerscales, a director at the club, previously said that the lowest-priced relocation option would have cost between £2 million and £3 million to take over an industrial unit, refurbish it, and cover bills.
Current planning documents for the project say that the construction costs of including an indoor bowls hall in such plans are “substantial,” as it requires a site with clear spans, high ceilings, and environmental controls.
Documents say: “When assessed alongside the overall project budget, the addition of a 3-rink, 4-rink or 6-rink facility would result in a level of cost that would render the scheme unaffordable and place the wider development at financial risk.”
Councillor Henry Wheeler (Lab), portfolio holder for lifestyles, health and wellbeing, previously told the authority’s cabinet that a six-rink bowls facility in the plans would add between £5.6 million to £7.7 million to capital costs, leaving the council a subsidy of around £500,000 a year.
Opposition councillor, Sam Smith (Con) said in July the project was a “complete white elephant” and criticised the authority for pushing ahead with the plans despite Local Government Reorganisation happening in the county, which will involve two new unitary authorities being created, including one which will now include Nottingham and parts of Gedling, Broxtowe and Rushcliffe and the other containing the rest of the county.
Cllr Smith said: “It is beyond ridiculous that the taxpayers of Gedling borough are being lumbered with a loan of £30 million to build a new leisure centre where the keys are going to be handed over to Nottingham City Council.
“The Carlton Active project is a complete white elephant. £30 million of debt the new council will be lumbered with, and it’s a new centre that doesn’t deliver everything the residents want.”
He called for the Labour-run Gedling council to “slam the brakes” on the project and let the new unitary authority take over, adding: “They’re gambling with residents’ money.
Councillors won’t be there to answer for it because it will be a new authority.”
Gedling Borough Council previously said more than £2m in backlog works were required for the two existing leisure centres, which, along with a £545,000 yearly subsidy, made them “unsustainable in their current form”.
The new Carlton Active building will have 154 parking spaces, 15 motorbike spaces, and 81 bicycle spaces.
The goal is to start demolishing the Richard Herrod Centre on September 28, 2026, with completion expected in either November or December.
