Shropshire Council's Cabinet asked to approve CIL funding for Whitchurch Swimming and Fitness Centre

Shropshire Council’s Cabinet is being asked to approve a bid for £980,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds to fit out the new swimming and fitness centre in Whitchurch.

Project managers have requested the funds to fit out the gym and the interior of the £14m development, including changing areas and a café.

Robert Macey, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet for culture and digital, said:

“As a growing market town Whitchurch needs modern fitness and leisure facilities to support all members of the local community at all stages of their lives to support their wellbeing through fitness activities and opportunities to socialise with family and friends.

“We have committed to developing the new swimming and fitness centre, and people will already have seen the huge progress that has been made on site since the start of the year, including the demolition of the old swimming centre, MUGA play area and youth centre. Groundworks are already underway and we are looking forward to seeing rapid development.

“By applying for CIL funding we aim to the new, energy-efficient centre to open by early summer 2025. The funding will go towards kitting out the 41-station gym, activity studios and changing areas, including an accessible Changing Places facility for people with severe disabilities.”

Funded by Shropshire Council, the new centre will offer a six-lane 25m pool, a 41-station fitness suite, multi-function rooms and a café with 20 covers.

In addition to providing vital services to the local community, the state-of-the-art centre will also welcome visitors from surrounding areas, driving economic growth and creating new opportunities for local businesses. Five local primary schools will also benefit.

Shropshire Council developed the project after finding that a new centre would be the most viable and cost effective way to replace the previous facility, which had not been able to open since March 2020 when defects were identified in the pool’s structure.

It is anticipated the new centre will open in mid-2025 under the management of the Shropshire Community Leisure Trust and Serco, who currently operate Shrewsbury Sports Village, The Quarry Swimming and Fitness Centre in Shrewsbury, Market Drayton Leisure Centre and Oswestry Leisure Centre, on behalf of Shropshire Council.