Leisure Centres Project

Through a partnership with Everyone Active, we are in the process of transforming our leisure centre services.

A new £22.5 million leisure centre in Coalville 

The new Whitwick and Coalville Leisure Centre on Stephenson Way (A511) in Coalville is nearing completion. 

Planning permission was granted in October 2019 and construction began in July 2020. 

The centre is expected to open in early 2022, months ahead of schedule. Keep an eye on our timeline as work progresses on the site.

The new centre will cost £22.5m with the current Hermitage Leisure Centre remaining open until the completion of the new facility.

The plans for the new centre will see the land turned into a parkland leisure destination, including a trim trail with activity stations, pedestrian and cycle access from Hermitage Recreation Ground and Stephenson College, and a high ropes course within the woodland. The centre itself will include:

• Eight lane 25 metre main pool, learner pool with moveable floor
• 120 station gym, 25 spin cycles and two exercise studios
• Café with healthy eating options
• Eight court sports hall and three squash courts
• Changing Places facility accessible from the lobby
• Clip ‘n’ Climb
• Sauna, steam and spa pool.
• 250 car spaces

Construction company Metnor is responsible for building the new centre and once complete, the new centre will be managed by our leisure partner, Everyone Active. The company currently manages both Hermitage Leisure Centre in Whitwick and Hood Park Leisure Centre in Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Work to trees and landscaping on the site

We have been through a thorough review of the trees on site throughout the design process to ensure that both the National Forest (NFC) and our planning team approved of the proposals.

Where possible, the landscape design aims to retain existing woodland and replace any removed, while enhancing biodiversity and ecological features throughout the scheme. Through discussions with the National Forest and planners the design of the scheme will:

• Provide like for like replacement of removed trees
• Provide 30.18% of the site as soft landscape (excluding existing woodland and proposed replacement) exceeding the NFC target figure of 20%
• Soften edges of and proposed areas of trees and introduce wildflower meadows to increase biodiversity
• Replace some of tree planting with wildflower meadow to smaller areas of soft landscaping
• Introduce wildflower meadow to perimeter areas of the car park
• Native species have been included within the woodland planting mix - 25% Hawthorn, Holly and Dogwood at an increased density of 2m
• Have an ongoing management plan that ensures long term care of the landscaping once complete.

£1.2 million transformation of Hood Park Leisure Centre

Work to reconfigure and transform Hood Park Leisure Centre – which has been renamed Ashby Leisure Centre and Lido – has now been completed

                                          

Improvements include a brand new state of the art fitness suite, a new fitness studio, a new spin studio, a new function room, new village style pool changing, refurbished changing rooms and toilets, and a refurbished reception area.

Hermitage recreation ground and leisure centre site 

Read about the future of Hermitage recreation ground and leisure centre site

Everyone Active 

Based in Hinckley, Everyone Active currently operates numerous leisure facilities in Leicestershire, including in Melton, Oadby and Wigston and Blaby.

They have years of experience of building, reconfiguring and managing leisure centres and will work with us and other organisations to help improve health and wellbeing in the district. 

Investment in leisure facilities across the district

We are also investing an additional £1 million to our leisure facilities in Ibstock, Measham and Castle Donington, focusing on the fitness facilities within the centres there, which are run in partnership with local schools and/or parish councils.