Plans for Gurnell Leisure
The previous plans for a replacement leisure centre at Gurnell, which did not receive planning consent, are not now going to move forward. The council is determined to move forward as swiftly as possible with new plans for leisure facilities at the Gurnell site. The same challenges that the previous scheme sought to address still exist, including a life-expired existing building that would cost many millions of pounds and take several years to bring back into a usable state for a short life extension; and the very high costs of a replacement.
These are challenges we are determined to overcome, so we have commissioned a professional feasibility study in the routes forward that are now available for Gurnell, this will include some engagement with key stakeholders to help shape a new masterplan for the Gurnell site, including a replacement leisure centre and enhanced outdoor leisure space all set within the landscaped setting.
The council has pledged to be open, transparent and inclusive. Given the strong interest that local people and stakeholders have in the future of Gurnell, the council has recently launched its proposals for an independently chaired ‘Sounding Board’ that will help shape the Gurnell project as it develops from feasibility and masterplan to detailed design, to construction on site and users wishes going forward throughout the life of this key regeneration project to the borough.
The Sounding Board
The Sounding Board will be involved at every step of the process, and be a key vehicle through which representatives of the local and sporting communities will be able to fully participate as trusted partners.
Through this website and the Sounding Board, we hope that we can encompass as many of the aspirations of those who value and use Gurnell as possible in the eventual way for this vital project. we are expecting the first meeting of the Sounding Board in Spring, when we hope they will meet with the project team and take a first look at the ideas beginning to emerge from the feasibility study. We envisage Sounding Board meetings to be held every three to four months depending on key information about the scheme being ready to share.
The new Gurnell leisure campus
That commitment to being an open, transparent and inclusive council extends to all areas of our work, and we are determined that this extends to how we take forward Gurnell.
There are no easy decisions to be made on the future of Gurnell. Given the fatigued condition of the current building, the site, and the council’s finances, it might not be possible to find a solution that satisfies everyone.
We do believe, however, that by engaging with key stakeholders and the community at this early stage of the re-started process, we increase the chances of finding a sustainable, affordable and achievable way forward to deliver the world-class leisure facilities at Gurnell.
The feasibility study and masterplan
We have recently invited several companies to bid to develop a feasibility study for the Gurnell project. The brief we have set requires the study to meet the following requirements:
- To deliver a new leisure centre including a 50-metre pool
- To include a review of the range of leisure facilities to be included in the centre
- To create a masterplan that includes the leisure centre
- Tests different ways of funding and getting the scheme built
- Considers zero carbon, and how the scheme can help meet the council’s key objective to be zero carbon by 2030
- Complies with the borough’s planning policy context.