Plans to replace Bramcote Leisure Centre on Derby Road have been under consideration since 2024, when Broxtowe Borough Council gave the green light to a site renewal proposal.

The authority spent approximately £200,000 that same year on repairs to the current centre, where the presence of unsafe Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete created a hazard from potential falling material.

Elected members have previously described the building as obsolete, structurally failing and consuming excessive energy. The centre’s swimming pool was forced to close temporarily on the weekend of July 25 after an unexpected equipment malfunction.

Construction on a replacement facility had initially been anticipated to commence in spring 2025, though revisions to the designs caused postponements.

Councillors had expected the authority-managed scheme to go before the planning committee for formal endorsement in December 2025, but this was deferred by a month. The committee then gave unanimous approval on January 14, 2026.

At that point, the council’s leader, Milan Radulovic (Brox Alliance), expressed hope that construction would begin by April, with a deadline for contract signatures set for the end of July.

This deadline has now been missed because of complications surrounding the licensing arrangement with the adjacent school.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service about the sequence of setbacks, Councillor Peter Bales (Lab) explained that he had served on the original working group and had flagged concerns in 2024 about the pool depth and absence of spectator provisions. This resulted in, he estimated, approximately 11 months of delays. He works in the construction sector and stated that resolving such issues does not require 11 months.

Bales added that the scheme appears to have disappeared from cabinet discussions. He expressed concern that decision-makers seem to be losing focus on the project.

Bales noted that hardly a week passes without Liberty Leisure announcing that some element of Bramcote Leisure Centre is shut due to various reasons. He said this situation is unfair to staff and does not give residents confidence that the replacement will materialise soon. He stressed the new facility is urgently required.

Bales described the current centre as being maintained with temporary fixes and is calling for a definite commitment from the council regarding contract signatures and a commencement date.

Council leader Milan Radulovic informed the LDRS that the current hold-up in contract signatures stems from difficulties with the licensing agreement between neighbouring Foxwood Academy and the authority, but indicated this matter has now been resolved.

He acknowledged the situation had been frustrating, deeply frustrating. He explained that the project is not funded by a central government grant and must be financed entirely through the council’s own resources, careful financial management, procedures and prevailing borrowing conditions.

The council must fund this using public money and has an obligation to secure the most favourable arrangement possible, he said.

Everyone wants to see a new facility and is working towards that goal. The public should understand that the council is undertaking this independently without government support or assistance from the East Midlands mayor. The delays have occurred to ensure the scheme remains financially sustainable and does not become a burden on council taxpayers once finished, he stated.

The leader indicated contracts should be formally executed by mid-August and he is aiming for workers to be on site in September 2026.

A council spokesperson stated that Broxtowe Borough Council remains fully dedicated to delivering the new Bramcote Leisure Centre and is pleased to confirm the scheme continues to progress.

While contracts had originally been anticipated to be signed by the end of July, legal and licensing matters have required more time than expected to conclude. These matters are close to being resolved, and work continues with all involved parties to complete the remaining steps.

Although the delays are disappointing, it is vital that all required legal checks, balances and contractual protections are finalised before proceeding, the spokesperson said. Such matters are not unusual in major schemes, where taking care to get the details correct at this stage helps prevent risks and difficulties later in the process.

Regarding the recent pool closure at the existing centre, the spokesperson explained this resulted from an unexpected failure of equipment within the pool’s chlorination system. Specialist engineers addressed the issue on the morning of Monday, July 27.

The replacement leisure centre will be constructed on the current car park location.

During the building phase, a temporary car park would be established to the north of the access point on part of a sports field adjacent to Foxwood Academy. The present centre would subsequently be demolished to accommodate a new permanent car park.

The new centre’s facilities will span two levels, comprising a large six-lane swimming pool and a teaching pool, along with a tiered spectator area, a spin studio, gym space, exercise hall, offices and changing accommodation.

Earlier leisure centre proposals attracted numerous objections over insufficient amenities at the proposed location, including inadequate spectator viewing provision meaning competitive swimming events could not be accommodated and the original pool depth being inappropriate for artistic swimming.

An earlier public consultation on the scheme generated 27 responses, with four in favour, 11 neutral and 12 opposed. One of the objections referenced a petition containing 132 signatures as of April 7, 2025.

This led to designs being revised several times to address objections, with a suitable spectator area added and the pool’s depth initially increased from 1.3 metres to 1.8 metres. The deep end was subsequently extended further to two metres.

The scheme was originally estimated to cost approximately £21.5 million, but the council’s cabinet sanctioned an increase of £1.1 million to the construction stage budget in June 2026.