£6m Caldicot leisure centre revamp revealed

Council bosses are drawing up proposals for Caldicot Leisure Centre which include an extension of the centre’s fitness suite, a soft play facility with a café and new changing facilities.

Improvements to the centre’s 20M swimming pool are also planned – including a new viewing area – while spa facilities could also benefit from the revamp.

Outside changing facilities for the centre’s 3G pitch are being proposed, while the entrance and ground floor of the centre could be redesigned.

Freya, age 12, and Chloe, nine, at the soft play centre at Monmouth Leisure Centre. A similar facility is planned at Caldicot Leisure Centre

Monmouthshire council’s ruling cabinet will be asked to approve £127,600 next week to allow for a feasibility study to be developed into the project.

An initial study estimated the costs at between £5.5m and £6m.

But the council believes the project could deliver “a sustainable return on investment” through increased membership.

There are currently 850 direct debit members at Caldicot Leisure Centre, with a previous study indicating a potential base of 1,100.

An investment made in Monmouth Leisure Centre has convinced council officials “there is significant untapped demand for services if they are presented in a contemporary manner”.

Caldicot is the next leisure centre needing “significant uplift”, but improvements to facilities in Chepstow and Abergavenny could also be considered in the future.

A condition survey in 2017 found £350k would need to be spent on the 1970s-built leisure centre over the coming years.

“Even with these changes the facility looks tired and dated,” a council report says.

“This is thrown into stark relief given that it now shares a campus with the fantastic new Caldicot School.”

The council says the facility needs improvements to attract new customers and to keep pace with a planned £10m regeneration of the town centre, as well as the newly opened Caldicot School.

Providing more opportunities for residents to keep physically active and well is also a key objective for the authority.

“These are good times for Caldicot and there is a confidence about the town that additional investment can grow,” the report adds.

The council says it would need to ensure the leisure centre’s sports hall could still be used for exams as it develops plans.

A temporary venue may otherwise need to be built, costing around an additional £500,000.

Cabinet members will consider approving funds for a feasibility study at a meeting next Wednesday.