Council chiefs make decision to continue operating at Calverton and Redhill leisure centres

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🏊‍♂️ Gedling Borough Council has chosen to keep two leisure centres up and running

Two popular leisure centres have been saved from the threat of closure after a council ditched a plan to cut services.

Gedling Borough Council has chosen to keep its leisure services running at Calverton and Redhill leisure centres following public pushback.

The council has been reviewing its entire leisure offer as part of a new strategy to make its portfolio more financially sustainable.

The Labour-led council currently provides a £1.3 million subsidy every year to help run all of its leisure centres, but the authority said this was “not sustainable”.

Part of this review stoked fears for the future of Calverton and Redhill leisure centres, where the authority was considering withdrawing from the joint agreements across the sites.

The council currently operates and manages Calverton Leisure Centre and Redhill Leisure Centre, but there are joint-use agreements in place with Redhill Academy Trust, which runs the school site, and Nottinghamshire County Council, which owns the Calverton centre .

This meant the council was effectively assessing whether to withdraw its leisure services from the two buildings and looking at alternatives.

But on Thursday (March 26), the authority’s cabinet decided against this following public pushback.

Back in January, Calverton residents set up a petition to try prevent the decision – due to fears it could cause Calverton Leisure Centre to be closed down in future – which received 286 signatures.

A public consultation towards the end of 2025 resulted in 71 per cent of respondents saying they would not support the council’s decision to withdraw its leisure services from the Calverton centre, where many users walk to the centre.

For Redhill, 57 per cent indicated they would support withdrawal if it allowed investment in a newer, modern leisure service elsewhere in Gedling.

Speaking in Thursday’s cabinet meeting, Councillor Henry Wheeler (Lab), portfolio holder for lifestyles, health and wellbeing, said: “If there’s one thing that’s really annoyed me during this whole process it’s been the inaccurate statements being made about the future of the council’s leisure assets, mostly Calverton.

“There’s been a lot said and significant statements from various local politicians have been made.

“During all our process, no decision on the future of Calverton [Leisure Centre] had actually been made.

“In the consultation, nowhere did it say we was actually closing Redhill or Calverton – what it did say in one sentence was the word ‘may’… and to work with partners and the parish council to look at alternative ways of managing our leisure assets. At no point did it say we will dispose of those assets or serving notice.”

Cllr Wheeler continued that he was pleased the authority was “committed” to keeping the leisure centres “in-house and operated by the council”.

Independent councillor, Andy Meads, who represents Calverton, had been campaigning to protect the Calverton centre.

The council’s plans to remain operating at both leisure centres was formally published the week before Thursday’s meeting – this information was available publicly.

Responding to this, Cllr Meads previously said: “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 have been struggling to fit people in.”

The number of visits to both centres have increased in the past three years.

In 2022/23, there were 104,037 visits to Calverton Leisure Centre, increasing to 157,676 in 2024/25.

For the Redhill site, there were 181,444 visits in 2022/23, rising to just over 200,000 in 2023/24 and were 187,609 in 2024/25.

Alongside the council’s decision, the authority is continuing to progress with its plans for the new ‘Carlton Active’ facility – a modern building that will replace the “ageing” Carlton Forum and Richard Herrod centres and be built on the Richard Herrod site in future.

By Lauren Monaghan
Local Democracy Reporter

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🌤️ Weather: It will be cloudy for much of the day with outbreaks of rain or drizzle. These will be mostly light, but some heavier bursts are possible before clearing through the afternoon. Some late brighter or sunny spells will follow. Milder than Thursday. Tonight will see evening cloud break to clear skies overnight. It will be mainly dry, although isolated showers cannot be ruled out,. It will be cold with frost likely.

On Saturday a band of rain will clear through the morning, with sunshine and showers following. It will feel cold with brisk winds. There will be a frosty start to Sunday but it will then become fine and bright, before rain and blustery winds spread later.

🏘️ Fears village becoming a town as almost 100 homes on open countryside approved

A developer has promised hundreds of thousands of pounds in improvements to a village in Nottinghamshire after concerns were raised over its plans for almost 100 homes.

Gedling Borough Council’s planning committee approved a 93-home development on land east of Westhouse Farm, in Moor Road, Bestwood Village, at a meeting on Wednesday (March 25).

They have been tabled by developer Langridge Homes.

To the west of the site is Hawthorne Primary and Nursery School, and 101 homes have already been built in the wider area, following its allocation for housing under a council plan.

“The scheme would provide a wide range of house types from one to five bedroom, the majority of which would be two-storey, along with two bungalows,” planning documents said.

“The majority of properties would be detached or semi-detached, along with a terrace of three two-bed properties.”

Several concerns were raised during the meeting before plans were approved, including a loss of privacy, poor transport links, and the impact on the area’s amenities and facilities.

Cllr Darren Maltby (Con), who represents Bestwood St Albans, raised issue with the potential for flooding, as well as “horrific” traffic, and poor public transport links.

“Bestwood St Albans is increasingly growing, particularly around the village area, we have no pub, no doctors, no dentist, it has got one convenience store,” he said.

“What consideration has been given towards helping getting a few more facilities locally?”

A council planning officer said there was nothing the council could do in terms of the pub, but emphasised there was a significant amount of money pledged for local improvements by the developer; under what’s known as a Section 106 contribution.

He said the development shouldn’t impact the wider flood risk and there has been no objection from the statutory consultees, including the lead flood authority and the Environment Agency.

Eight objections were received by the council, with concerns ranging from Bestwood being turned into a town due to development, and a shortage of frontline health services and other facilities within the village.

A resident of Keepers Close, which borders the site, spoke during the meeting to highlight her concerns over the impact on her street which is comprised mostly of bungalows.

“Most of the residents are elderly, so a five-bedroom detached house at the bottom of the plot is going to constitute a massive invasion of our privacy ”

Councillors imposed an amendment to the plans that requires any windows facing the bungalows on one particular plot, where a five-bedroom house will be built, to be frosted.

The developer’s planned financial contributions were praised.

In total £777,850 will go toward education provision, £3,278 to be used by Nottinghamshire County Council as a contribution towards enhancing library provision at Arnold Library, a primary healthcare contribution of £50,394.37 and £41,400 for bus stop improvements.

There will also be an open space contribution – in the absence of a play area – of £261,607.20, and maintenance contribution of £119,320.00.

In addition, a contribution of £31,400 is sought for the maintenance of the identified local play area.

Of the properties, 28 are planned to be made affordable, including 20 for social rent and eight shared-ownership properties.

Cllr Catherine Pope (Lab) added: “It is actually quite refreshing somebody is coming along and they are actually going to give all of the allocations for a change, and the right amount of social affordable housing.

“That is to be commended.”

By Joe Locker
(Local Democracy Reporter)

👰 Former wedding venue in Arnold goes on the market for £2.5m

A Grade II* listed wedding venue in Arnold has been brought to market with a £2.5m guide price of £2.5m.

Receivers have instructed Watling Real Estate and Christie & Co to sell The Lakeside on Mansfield Road.

The site includes a former Victorian pumping station, a lodge and landscaped grounds, following a multi-million pound refurbishment.

A spokesman said: “The Lakeside is a regional landmark, characterised by the striking Thomas Hawksley tower and is located in an attractive setting, overlooking a picturesque ornamental lake, parkland, and landscaped gardens.

“The Lakeside was intended to be a restaurant, bar and wedding venue but the property lends itself to a variety of alternative uses, subject to planning permission.”

Dating back to 1873, the main building was constructed by Victorian engineer Thomas Hawksley in a Gothic revival style. The venue includes restaurant, bar and function spaces for up to 150 guests, alongside an outdoor terrace overlooking a Grade II listed lake.

The wider site also features West Lodge, a Grade II listed cottage, and parking for around 90 vehicles.