Community ‘over the moon’ with new plan to protect Calverton's leisure centre from closure

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🏊 Campaigners say they are ‘over the moon’ with a new plan to protect a popular leisure centre from closure

Campaigners say they are ‘over the moon’ with a new plan by the council to protect a popular leisure centre in Calverton from closure.

Gedling Borough Council has been reviewing its entire leisure offer as part of a new strategy to make its portfolio more financially sustainable, but residents and councillors feared the new plans had put Calverton Leisure Centre at risk of closure.

The Labour-led council currently provides an annual £1.3 million subsidy to help run all of its leisure centres, which it says is “not sustainable”.

As part of the review, it has been looking at how it manages joint-use sites, including Calverton and Redhill leisure centres.

Council documents revealed it was considering withdrawing from the joint agreements, and residents in Calverton set up a petition to prevent such a decision being made for the popular facility off Flatts Lane.

A consultation was also held asking residents for their thoughts.

At a cabinet meeting on March 26, the council has recommended it continues running the leisure centres under current arrangements.

In a statement council leader Cllr John Clarke (Lab) said: “First of all no decision has yet been made.

“What we have been doing is looking carefully at how our leisure centres remain sustainable and affordable for the future. Like many councils across the country our leisure services are heavily subsidised, and we need to make sure we manage them responsibly so residents can continue to enjoy these facilities for many years to come.

“I am pleased to say because of the work we’ve been doing to modernise our leisure offer, particularly through the development of the Carlton Active, we are now in a stronger position. Having a modern, efficient facility in Carlton will make our leisure services more economically sustainable overall, and that means we can continue to support and subsidise our other centres that are important to our communities, including here in Calverton and also in Arnold.

“Next week the council’s cabinet will consider the recent consultation and a recommendation that the Calverton Leisure Centre remains open, operated by Gedling Borough Council. Cabinet will also consider the recommendation Redhill Leisure Centre continues to be operated by the council.”

Calverton Leisure Centre is currently operated and managed by the council, but there are joint-use agreements in place with Redhill Academy Trust, which runs the school site, and Nottinghamshire County Council, which owns the site.

The new strategy originally recommended the centre is retained for community use “in the short term”.

However, over the long term, the strategy could have given the council “the opportunity to transfer management back to the school and Nottinghamshire County Council, or work with another provider to manage to reduce the council’s liability.”

Under the strategy the council is hoping to replace the ageing Richard Herrod Centre and Carlton Forum Leisure Centre with a new purpose-built facility called Carlton Active.

It would be built where Richard Herrod currently stands.

Cllr Andy Meads (Ind), who represents Calverton, has been campaigning to protect the centre.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I don’t know what swung it in the end.

“It has all come out exactly how we wanted, possibly the fact you can’t ignore the consultations, or the stuff people have been saying on Facebook, or the petition we did in January.

“I’ve been really giving them a hard time privately with emails and ranting at them. People are over the moon.

“Community engagement in this village is sky-high. The whole thing has been ridiculous. Usage is up and they had been struggling to fit people in.”

Joe Locker (Local Democracy Reporter)

🚔 Police car damaged by fleeing driver in Arnold

A fleeing driver repeatedly reversed into a pursuing police car during a chase in Arnold.

A police dog handler was on routine patrol shortly after midnight on Wednesday, March 18, when he spotted a Volvo travelling at speed in the Arnold area.

The vehicle was followed along Mapperley Plains before being pursued around the surrounding streets.

During the pursuit, the police car was damaged after the suspect reversed into it on three separate occasions.

Advanced Armed Response officers then joined the chase and brought the vehicle to a tactical stop on Woodborough Road.

A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop, drink driving, theft, and criminal damage.

Inspector Chris Chell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The vehicle he was driving was found to have been stolen and was travelling on false plates.

“The driver of this vehicle put multiple people in danger with his actions, including himself.

“Thanks to the skill and professionalism of all the officers involved, this incident was brought to a swift and safe conclusion.”

⚠️ Heads up...

🌤️ Weather: It will be a dry day with sunny intervals but becoming overcast in the afternoon. Temperatures will be a little above average. The wind will gradually increase but remain light and variable. Tonight it will become overcast and cloudy but breaks will develop in the cloud. The wind will freshen and become gusty by the morning.

Tomorrow will be cloudy at first and become overcast later with rain arriving by early evening and through the night becoming moderate at times, accompanied by fresh gusty winds.

🚶‍➡️Marathon hike to football stadiums in aid of prostate cancer

Intrepid explorers put their best foot forward as they headed to seven football grounds across Notts in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.

A group of Carlton Town supporters visited the other non league football clubs on foot on Saturday, March 14 before finishing at the club's home ground, the Bill Stokeld.

The four early risers began at 5am at Gedling Miners Welfare on Plains Road, with sub zero starts possibly contributing to the swift early progress, with the group making it to their first checkpoint, at Arnold Town, ahead of schedule. The team were met by Steve Holland, the Arnold Chairman and his wife, Sharron who provided pastries and coffee as well as an eighty pound contribution collected from their supporters.

Keen to build on the good start, the team headed back into Nottingham, making excellent progress from Basford United to Radford FC and then to Dunkirk FC where the walkers were welcomed with yet more non league hospitality, donations and support during a brief pit stop.

More walkers joined as the second half got underway with running repairs being made to blistered feet at Clifton All Whites before the team of seven remaining walkers pressed on past the gridlocked roads around West Bridgford as they headed for their penultimate stop on Regatta Way and home of West Bridgford Colts.

Then, the final and longest leg of the twenty seven mile route, a five and a half mile trek over Lady Bay Bridge with the hum of the Notts County ground as the Magpies battled Chesterfield, and onto Daleside Road East and Colwick Loop Road.

The whole journey took nine and a half hours. The running fundraising total so far is £2,710 - exceeding the £2000 target.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. One in eight men will get it. Early intervention aids survival rates so the team welcome any more donations over the next few days. 

A spokesman for the group said: "A special thank you to the walkers. Whether they did one leg or the whole route, they were part of a fantastic effort. Thanks too goes to the non league community of Nottingham.

From cascading of information on club socials to biscuits and coffee on route on the day, so energising for the team and very much appreciated and also to the support car driver who met the group at key intervals."

You can still back the walk with donations at their JustGiving: https://www.justgiving.com/team/nottinghamnonleaguegroundhop

⚠️ Warning as fraudsters pose as police officers to con man out of almost £3k

Mobile phone users in Gedling borough are being urged to be on their guard after fraudsters posed as police officers to con a man out of nearly £3,000.

The offenders are believed to have used a number‑masking technique to make it appear as though they were calling from a legitimate phone number, which the victim could then check online.

The victim, a man in his twenties, was initially told he had been the target of fraud in a foreign country and that payment was needed to resolve the issue.

He eventually transferred nearly £3,000 in gift vouchers, which were then spent by the scammers.

As investigations continue, the investigating officer has issued a reminder that no legitimate police officer would ever behave in such a way.

PC Elis Harrison, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “When we get suspicious calls, it’s natural to search for the number that comes up on our mobile phone to check the caller is legitimate.

“But that number can be faked by fraudsters – as it was in this case.

“It is vital that people understand that no police officer would ever request money from a member of the public.

“So if someone makes such a request, you should end the call immediately and contact the real police straightaway.”

Anyone with additional information about this or similar incidents is asked to call 101 quoting incident 753 of 12 March 2026.

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