February 7, 2019 8.50 am This story is over 61 months old

£6.3m Market Rasen leisure centre approved – without pool

The centre is still without a swimming pool despite pressure from residents
An artist's impression of the new dry leisure facility.

A £6.3 million Market Rasen leisure centre, which residents argue is lacking a long-desired swimming pool, has been given a perfect score.

The Gainsborough Road build, which has been labelled a “dry leisure facility” will include a 3G football pitch and dance suite.

It will host a range of facilities, including a sports hall.

During a short discussion councillors raised concerns over the loss of a “green wedge” in the town.

A layout of the new facility showing the areas where a pool could be included in the future.

Councillor Jessie Milne said she felt the council had taken different approaches to developments on wedges within their local plan, with previous applications getting rejected.

However, Councillors Giles McNeill and Thomas Smith both argued there were concessions in the policies that would allow leisure use, and that the landscaping would mitigate the development.

Plans to build the leisure centre were originally announced in June 2018, campaigners however, immediately spoke up to say a swimming pool was a “higher priority”.

Market Rasen Action Group lodged a 2,000 signature petition to the district council calling on the authority to look again at building a swimming pool in the town.

An artist’s impression of the new dry leisure facility.

But the petition was rejected by councillors in November 2018 after council leader, Jeff Summers, said the proposal for a pool would require “significant subsidy”.

He added that a consultation had taken place and that a pool would be “unsustainable”.

During the meeting Market Rasen Town Councillor Steve Bunney argued the council felt Mill Road would have been a better location.

Judith Randall, who attended, is a member of Market Rasen Action Group, she said after the meeting she was disappointed there wasn’t further emphasis on the inclusion of a swimming pool.

“It seemed to me it was a foregone conclusion. I think the location is satisfactory, I just don’t think they have emphasis with regard to developing the site further.

“I would have liked to have seen it go to the secretary of state so there was more emphasis put on developing the swimming pool. That’s for the town, something for the area and its health and wellbeing.”