The second swimming pool being built at Hucknall Leisure Centre is still 'on track' to open in the spring of next year it has been confirmed.

Hucknall North Councillor John Wilmott provided an update on progress on the extra pool and other improvements at Hucknall Leisure Centre at Ashfield District Council's Cabinet meeting yesterday (Tuesday 19 July). 

He said that it was part of an improvement package worth over £5.5million that "…would make it even better than the 1980s" when Olympic Gold Medallist Duncan Goodhew opened the leisure centre.

Once complete, the new pool will predominantly offer swimming lessons, family sessions and aqua based activities to support people to age well, and for people living with long term health conditions.

Councillor Wilmott, an Ashfield Independent councillor and a centre user for over 40 years said: "It's amazing to see work progress as our promise comes to fruition. When the Ashfield Independents took over the Council – your Hucknall Councillors presented a shopping list of improvements we wanted. An extra swimming pool and massive improvements was top of the list. This is a victory for Hucknall."

The improvements to the Leisure Centre are part of a £22million Leisure Transformation across Ashfield. They include the installation of a new health and fitness gym; the refurbishment of the main entrance area; three new group exercise studios; new changing village; redecoration and refurbishment of the squash courts and sports hall floor; new Health Hub facility; and a new meeting room. 

Councillor Wilmott added: "By the time we are finished – your Ashfield Independent Council will have invested £5.5million in Hucknall Leisure Centre. By the time we are finished – it will be bigger and have more state-of-the-art facilities than when we built it. It's no wonder that people are saying that Ashfield has the best council run leisure facilities in England."