Parking spaces taken out of use ahead of Whitchurch leisure centre demolition

The site off White Lion Meadow, Whitchurch, is due to be cleared after planning permission was granted to replace it with a new £13.1m pool and fitness centre.

Motorists and visitors to the town are being warned in advance that there will be a temporary loss of some car parking spaces to the north and west of the site while works progress, but the pathways besides Lidl and into the town centre will remain open.

Shropshire Council said the areas will be fenced off to "ensure health and safety standards are met".

Robert Macey, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for culture and digital, said: “This is a significant moment for the construction project, and we are excited to begin works that will prepare the site for clearance ahead of demolition starting in the new year.

“We are sorry for any inconvenience caused while the early works are completed, but we have deliberately planned this work well ahead of the Christmas period to minimise the economic impact of the temporary loss of car parking spaces for both businesses and visitors to the town.

“The loss of car parking to the west of the site will only be during the demolition and is expected to take no longer than two weeks. The spaces to the north of the site will remain out of use during the construction period.”

The new centre will include a six-lane 25m pool, a 41-station fitness suite, multi-function rooms and a café with 20 covers.

The ground floor will accommodate the café, changing village and pool, which will be overlooking the brook.

Upstairs there will be a 41-station gym and a flexible studio space that can be divided into two rooms.

The council said it now expects the centre to open in mid-2025.

The authority developed the £13.1m project after deciding that a new centre would be the most viable and cost effective way to replace the current facility, which has not been able to open since the pandemic began.

A statement from the council said: "Since the pool’s closure in March 2020, investigations to identify the cause of an ongoing leak and the practicalities of carrying out repair works showed that the swimming pool defects are such that it would not be able to reopen."

Peggy Mullock, a local Shropshire Councillor for Whitchurch North, added: “It is very exciting to see progress at the site and we are very much looking forward to opening this new centre for the benefit of the local community.

“The temporary loss of car parking spaces is an inconvenience, but there are lots of other car parks in the town and in the long-term we are gaining a fantastic facility. A key priority for Shropshire Council is to improve health and wellbeing at all stages of life and increasing participation in physical activity across the community is crucial to this.”

Anyone with any concerns over issues relating to the work can e-mail whitchurch.parking@shropshire.gov.uk