AN application for modern new swimming facilities in Ollerton has been submitted to Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee, as part of a major investment programme in leisure facilities across the district.

If approved, a 20 metre by 10 metre pool will be installed at the Dukeries Leisure Centre.

Scheduled to open in 2020, the new pool will be located within the existing site in a separate building.

Up until July 2017, leisure centre members were able to use the adjacent Dukeries Academy for swimming before the pool was deemed no longer fit-for-purpose by the trust that runs the academy.

Until May this year, members were able to use the wetside facilities of South Forest Leisure Centre, Edwinstowe. Currently, facilities are provided to members nearly two miles away from the Dukeries at Wellow House School, but this is not considered to be a suitable long-term solution.

With a 32 per cent population growth anticipated by 2026 in Ollerton and nearby Boughton, an improved leisure facility in the area is needed to meet an expected rise in demand, while opening up more opportunities for people to adopt a healthier and more active lifestyle.

The leisure centre, which is run by the district council’s own leisure company, Active4Today, is situated next to an area of land earmarked for a new housing development site, with more than 200 new homes planned on land between Hallam Road and Stepnall Heights.

Coun Roger Jackson, chairman of the leisure and environment committee, said: “Ollerton and Boughton is the largest population centre in Sherwood and the existing leisure facilities simply will not accommodate the needs of the growing number of inhabitants.

“Swimming is an important skill to be taught from a young age and the new pool will ensure that the facility can be enjoyed for generations, improving the health and well-being of everyone in the area, both now and into the future.”

The district council’s planning committee is meeting in December to discuss the plans, which are recommended for approval.

The planning application for the new pool coincides with other major investments in facilities across Newark and Sherwood, which are currently under way, as part of the council’s commitment to deliver a more advanced leisure provision.

Proposals are being developed to double the size of Southwell Leisure Centre’s fitness suite, which has experienced an increase in demand and a significant rise in all types of memberships in recent years. The extension will allow for an extra 600 members to benefit from the facilities, encouraging people to live healthy, active lives.

Additional equipment, including free weights, benches, fixed weight machines and 23 new cardio vascular machines will be installed and extra space will be made available within the current activity studios to provide different classes to members.

The council’s centre at Blidworth also recently received significant investment to remove a wall between the reception area and the fitness suite to create a more attractive entrance space and to reduce managerial costs.