Soft play facility and leisure centre improvements planned by council

All MSV gym and fitness sessions would be moved to Waterfield Leisure Centre and the changing rooms there would undergo significant improvement works.

The changes have been put forward by Melton Borough Council and current contractors, SLM (Everyone Active), as part of an investment of £1.735million into leisure facilities.

SLM’s contract ends in March but the company has emerged as the council’s preferred option to run MSV and Waterfield for the next 10 years.

Borough council leader, Councillor Pip Allnatt, said: “The proposal is to relocate all the gym and swim provision to Waterfield Leisure Centre and to make improvements to changing facilities, whilst also creating a large soft play facility with a café at the Melton Sports Village, improving the quality and offer of both facilities.

"The proposals genuinely enable us to provide a better health and wellbeing opportunity to children, families, individuals and groups within Melton and we hope that users of the facilities will be excited for the changes ahead.

“The whole project will provide a breathing space and a springboard for a more ambitious replacement programme, in later years, as we continue to explore ways to fund brand new leisure facilities for the next generation.”

The 60-year-old swimming pool at Waterfield Leisure Centre has experienced long-running issues with its showers and changing areas – a lack of hot water and problems with cleanliness have attracted widespread complaints.

But we reported in August that the borough council stated it could not afford the estimated £35million it would cost to build a new one for at least a decade.

The authority is now aiming to invest money into improving the existing facilities until it can meet the cost of building a new leisure centre.

Next Thursday (December 14) councillors will consider a proposal to award a 10-year contract for the operation of the two council-owned leisure facilities, alongside plans to invest nearly £2million to improve and enhance the Waterfield Leisure Centre and Melton Sports Village, ensuring they are fit for the next decade.

Following a robust tender process, SLM (Everyone Active) have been selected as the preferred supplier of the new contract and, if awarded by the council, will operate the leisure facilities for at least the next decade.

The council says its proposed investment into the leisure centres will fund a range of exciting and major improvement works.

Councillor Allnatt added: “It is no secret that our facilities are ageing and will benefit greatly from investment and improvement.

"The proposals from SLM, alongside the investment of £1.735m from the council, will see a much-needed upgrade to the local leisure centres and continuation of a strong and successful partnership.”

And in a message to his council colleagues ahead of next week’s meeting, he said: "I urge all councillors to support this opportunity which will allow us to work together to invest in a way that will enhance and improve these much-loved facilities.”