North East Derbyshire District Council have approved ambitious plans to replace Sharley Park Leisure Centre with a new community hub including leisure centre, health provision and support services.
This decision marks the start of an exciting time for Clay Cross, and is the most advanced of the ten projects in the £24.1m Clay Cross Town Deal.
The next stage of work is a detailed design and a planning application before work can start on site early next year (subject to planning consent).
The new facility will be on the same site as the existing centre. It is supported by Sport England and the Football Foundation, with Chesterfield Royal Hospital, Clay Cross Hospital, and Citizens Advice, partnering the project.
Inside the leisure centre there will be a large, modern fitness suite, spin studio, fitness suite, sports hall, main pool, learner pool, Changing Places facility, Soft Play and a community café.
Outside it’s proposed to have social areas, improved play equipment, a full size 3G floodlit pitch, and a walking/cycle route around the 1-mile perimeter of the park.
The hub aims to be a place where you can be active, physically and mentally, somewhere which provides opportunities to learn and develop, and a site to improve health and well-being and social interaction.
North East Derbyshire District Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Cllr Jeremy Kenyon said, “This is a fantastic and significant moment not just for Clay Cross but for the whole district.
“As the design progresses in the coming months, we look forward to sharing with you the proposals in more detail to hear resident’s thoughts and how we have responded to your consultation comments.
“Whilst Swim England are forecasting the closure of up to 2000 pools across the country, we are bucking the trend, approving £27m investment in our leisure centres to improve facilities for residents of all ages and make them more financially and environmentally sustainable.
“There is growing demand for places where communities can come together, socialise and most importantly, have fun. I strongly believe leisure centres have a vital role to play in this, in addition to being a place where we can all get our heart rate up and be more active.”