Sobell Leisure Centre Consultation Results

In June, the council consulted local residents on ideas to replace the ageing facilities at the Sobell Leisure Centre. Over 1,400 people took the time to give their views. High on the public’s priority list were the need for a gym, a swimming pool, a sports hall and fitness studios. There was also strong feeling about the need to retain the borough’s only ice rink.

As well as providing new modern sports and community facilities, the council’s aim is to make far better use of the whole Sobell site. We aim to provide more green space around the centre, which will be designed to be safer and more user-friendly. Building new housing will help pay for the improvements and tackle local housing shortages.

The consultation showed strong public support for the option that gives the biggest leisure centre. People were keen to see new community facilities at the Sobell to attract a wider range of users, with youth facilities at the top of the list.

The next stage is to draw up detailed designs which the public will be consulted on before any work begins. In the meantime, as work won’t begin on the Sobell for at least 18 months, users can still use the centre as normal. If you are an Izz card holder you can also visit the borough’s other leisure centres. Visit the aquaterra website, by clicking on the link on the right of this page under ‘Related Information’ for more information.

The council has drawn up its recommendations for the Sobell, based on the consultation results. These recommendations are currently going through the council's decision making process. You can download the consultation results and council's recommendations from the bottom of this page.