No Agreement on Pool Repair

The Trustees of Southwell Leisure Centre are disappointed to report that they have not yet been able to agree with Newark and Sherwood District Council on repair of the main swimming pool.

After several months of hard work and extensive investigations and assessments, the Trustees in early December submitted to the Council 3 quotes for repair from reputable companies and recommended the cheapest of these for consideration.

The works, which would cost just over £500,000, would include additional repairs, which have been discovered to be necessary since the failure of the main pool in Autumn 2023. They would also result in significant modernisation, which would include automatic handling of chemicals, with health and safety improvements for both staff of the leisure centre and users of the pool, better conservation of water and improved energy efficiency. The repairs would render the pool useable for the long term. The Trust was keen to meet with the Council to discuss the elements of the quotes, so that there was a shared understanding, and asked for a meeting on several occasions.

Water polo in Southwell Pool

Initially the Council misread the information provided and was dismissive of the quotes, regarding them as too high, though later suggested they might be willing to recommend to Cabinet that the money for repair be handed over to the Trustees, provided the Trust took responsibility for the repairs and agreed at the same time to terminate the lease between them. They would not agree to meet to discuss the quotes, unless it was accepted by the Trust that the Council would not oversee the repairs. Since the Trust’s legal advice is that the Council has a legal obligation to repair, we could not accept this as a precondition for discussions. The Council is also aware that the repairs would cost an additional 20%, if carried out by the Trust, because of the VAT implications.

We regret that we will need to proceed to formal mediation with the Council early in the New Year, in a further effort to reach an outcome acceptable to all and to get the pool repaired.

Dr Philip Barron

Chair of Southwell Leisure Centre Trustees