WYCHAVON District Council is looking to have proposals on Droitwich Leisure Centre’s future put forward for consideration over the autumn months.
A detailed feasibility study on how any new centre could leave a major impact on the authority’s CO2 footprint will be going before Wychavon’s executive board soon, although no date is confirmed yet.
The current centre is more than 40 years old and no longer meets modern energy efficiency standards, with the building’s layout not fit for purpose in meeting users’ needs.
Last June a feasibility study into replacing the leisure centre was approved.
The development brief was to provide a fit-for-purpose leisure centre which supported the council’s net-zero carbon objectives, with the design team evaluating five sustainability options.
It was hoped the feasibility study would be completed early this year for consideration.
However, at February’s executive board meeting, it was revealed more work was required to ensure all the needed information was available for the council’s executive board to make an informed decision.
These have included a review of the potential for a refurbishment of the current centre and further sensitivity analysis on whole-of-life costs.
The board decided to delay the report and asked officers to bring a report in the early months of the post-election administration.
Reasons for this decision included ensuring sufficient work had been done to ensure the leisure centre wasn’t built in a way which left the council with a large bill for running it for the next 30 to 40 years.
