Transforming Leisure in Gedling

The Leisure Transformation Programme is Gedling Borough Council’s strategic plan to modernise and future-proof the borough’s leisure and wellbeing services. It is focused on improving access, increasing participation, and supporting long-term community health and sustainability.
The programme is made up of several key projects:

Carlton Active - A proposed new facility on the current Richard Herrod Centre site, designed to provide modern leisure, health, and community spaces in one location. This facility is currently going through feasibility and business case development. It aims to better serve local residents with improved gym, swimming, community and wellbeing provision.

Ambition Arnold - A regeneration scheme focused on the north end of Arnold, around the current library, Bonington Theatre and Arnold Leisure Centre. The ambition is to create a more connected, accessible and modernised community hub that brings together cultural, leisure and library services. This includes reviewing the current building usage, developing shared vision for the space, and working towards a long-term plan that supports both economic regeneration and improved resident experience. This involves working in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council who own the library and have responsibility for library services.

In addition to progressing these two projects, we have also reviewed our Strategic Plan for Leisure Services across Gedling Borough. This includes a full refresh of our Strategic Outcomes Planning Model (SOPM).

The SOPM is a nationally recognised framework used by councils, supported by Sport England, to guide investment and decision-making in leisure and community facilities. It helps us understand:

• Current and future needs of residents
• Gaps in access or provision
• Opportunities to align services with health and wellbeing priorities
• What facilities are required and where

Reviewing our SOPM is an essential first step in any major transformation programme. It ensures that future decisions are based on up-to-date data, community need, and clear strategic outcomes. This review has informed how we prioritise future projects, ensure fairness across the borough, and demonstrate value to funding partners.

Together, these projects and the strategic review will shape the next generation of inclusive, accessible and sustainable leisure services for Gedling residents.

The Strategic Outcomes Planning Model (SOPM) is Sport England’s recommended framework for helping councils make long-term, evidence-based decisions about leisure and wellbeing services. It looks beyond buildings to focus on how facilities and programmes contribute to wider community outcomes such as health, social inclusion and sustainability.

Gedling Borough Council first completed a SOPM in 2023, which set the direction for modernising leisure services. In 2025, the Council commissioned an updated Leisure Strategy, using the SOPM approach, to take account of the latest data on local health needs, demographics, participation trends and financial performance. This review also considered feedback from residents and stakeholders, gathered through consultation on Carlton Active and the wider leisure transformation programme.

The updated strategy confirmed that investment should be prioritised in new, modern facilities at Carlton and Arnold, while reviewing the long-term future of Redhill and Calverton due to their high running costs and maintenance issues. It also recommended replacing Carlton Forum and Richard Herrod with a single new hub - Carlton Active and exploring future management models to ensure the service is financially sustainable.

By reviewing the strategy through the SOPM process, the Council has ensured that decisions about investment, closures and new provision are based on robust evidence, national guidance and community feedback, helping to protect leisure services for the long term

In July 2024, Cabinet approved the development of a pre-construction feasibility study to assess the potential for a new Carlton Active centre to be built on the current Richard Herrod site. This study is now well underway and will result in a set of detailed design proposals and a full business case.

The current Carlton Forum Leisure Centre is not owned by Gedling Borough Council and is managed under a joint use agreement with Nottinghamshire County Council and Redhill Academy Trust. It is over 50 years and at the end of its life and ongoing asset maintenance will prove increasingly costly and difficult in the years ahead.

There is a considerable financial subsidy to the Council in providing the two facilities across Carlton Forum and Richard Herrod. The Council has identified the need for financial sustainability across its leisure sites as part of the SOPM to support its 5 Year Medium Term Financial Plan and to fulfil its statutory obligations to balance its finances.

This business case will help the Council assess the long-term benefits of building a new facility - including how it can improve health and wellbeing, increase community access to services, reduce carbon footprint, and ensure our leisure offer remains financially sustainable into the future.

Once complete, the design and business case will be submitted to Cabinet for approval - expected in January 2026. If Cabinet approves the project, a decision will also be made at that time on whether to move forward with construction.

If given the go-ahead, construction - which may involve either a full rebuild or a phased refurbishment and development - could begin at some point during 2026. These timelines are still to be confirmed and will depend on the outcome of the feasibility work and Cabinet’s final decision.

The ambition is to create a modern, inclusive, and accessible facility that can support sport, fitness, wellbeing, and community activity for many years to come.

The Carlton project is currently at the feasibility and business case development stage.

We began by completing an initial assessment using the Strategic Outcomes Planning Model (SOPM) - a nationally recognised approach for aligning leisure provision with community health, wellbeing, and inclusion outcomes. While the original SOPM supported the case for significant transformation, including redevelopment of the Richard Herrod site, we have now revisited this work to ensure it still reflects current performance, community need, and strategic priorities.

Since the SOPM was first produced, the Gedling Leisure service has significantly improved, with rising participation, stronger financial performance, and greater community impact. As a result, we have reviewed and refreshed the SOPM to make sure our decisions are based on the most up-to-date evidence and insights.

This process is being supported by early design and planning work, including site surveys, cost planning, architectural feasibility, and technical assessments. We have appointed professional consultants to lead this work and help develop a robust and realistic vision for what a future facility could look like.

Over the coming months, we will be developing a detailed business case, which will evaluate the financial, operational, and social benefits of a new facility. Community consultation, stakeholder engagement, and workforce involvement were completed in summer 2025 as part of the borough-wide Leisure Transformation consultation. 1,490 residents took part, alongside focus groups and Strategic Stakeholder engagement including National Governing bodies, Health and Community Partners and Sports Clubs. The feedback showed strong support for swimming, gym, group exercise, and family provision, as well as a clear need for inclusive, affordable, and sustainable facilities. These findings have directly informed the facility mix and next steps for Carlton Active.

In parallel, the Council is undertking a review of operational models for the new Carlton Active facility and the wider Gedling Leisure portfolio. This work assesses different management options to ensure services are delivered efficiently, sustainably, and in a way that provides best value for residents. The findings will inform how the new centre and leisure services across the borough are managed in the future.

A final decision on whether to proceed to construction has not yet been made. That decision will be informed by the business case, consultation feedback, and formal approval by elected members. We currently aim to bring forward a recommendation on to move forward into Pre-construction in January 2026.

In summer 2025, Gedling Borough Council carried out a borough-wide Leisure Transformation Consultation to hear the views of residents, partners and staff to gather views on what facilities people value most. The public consultation helped the Council to understand what residents and stakeholders wanted from the proposed new Carlton Active centre. The consultation was designed to make sure the project reflected local priorities and to gather feedback on the types of facilities, programmes and services people felt were most important and explore how leisure centres could better support health and wellbeing across the borough.

More than 1,400 people took part through surveys, focus groups and workshops. The feedback showed a strong desire for modern, sustainable leisure centres and highlighted swimming, gyms and group exercise as the top priorities for residents. Families told us that child-friendly facilities such as soft play were important, while many people emphasised the need for affordable pricing, concession schemes and flexible membership options. There was also a clear call for inclusive and accessible design. In addition, respondents wanted Carlton Active to provide more than just sport, acting as a community hub where social activities, health support and wellbeing services could sit alongside traditional leisure provision.

The results of this consultation directly shaped the recommended facility mix approved by Cabinet in September 2025. By embedding this feedback, the Council is ensuring that Carlton Active reflects the needs of local people while also being financially sustainable for the long term.

On 25 September 2025, Cabinet considered the next steps for Gedling’s Leisure Transformation Programme and, specifically, the Carlton Active project. Cabinet noted the updated Leisure Strategy as the evidence base that will guide future investment and management decisions across the portfolio and noted the results of the 2025 public and stakeholder engagement that informed Carlton Active’s brief.

As part of the business planning process, the Council modelled different facility options to test how each option would perform financially and in terms of meeting community needs.

For Carlton Active, Cabinet approved moving into the next stage of feasibility and concept design based on a core facility with soft play.

The new Carlton Active will include:

• An 8-lane, 25-metre swimming pool
• A learner/teaching pool
• A 100+ station gym
• An assisted exercise suite
• Two group exercise studios and a dedicated spin studio
• A community room for a range of activities and hire
• A café linked to reception
• Soft play facilities
• This decision reflects the business-case modelling set out in the report. The recommended facility mix maximises operating surplus to support borrowing. The position on a 3G pitch will be revisited later alongside the borough-wide review of football pitch need.

Cabinet also agreed that the Council will continue to engage with and offer advisory support to Gedling Indoor Bowls Club while relocation options are explored. This follows extensive engagement with the club and recognises the strength of feedback about the need for six-rink provision; feasibility work has therefore tested both “with” and “without” bowls to understand the full impact before the final decision was made.

In line with the Strategy, Cabinet agreed to undertake consultation on a potential withdrawal from the joint-use agreements at Redhill and Calverton. Any change would be subject to consultation and a two-year notice period, and work with schools and partners would seek to protect community access (for example to sports halls, pitches and pools) through new management arrangements where viable.

Finally, Cabinet noted the financial context: reducing the leisure subsidy is important to the Council’s Medium-Term Financial Plan, and the Carlton Active scheme is expected to contribute to efficiency savings, carbon-reduction goals and equality duties. Full Business Case and affordability assessment will come forward in early 2026 for a decision on whether to proceed to Pre-construction, once funding has been identified.

You can view the decision, report and supporting documents using the following link:

Agenda for Cabinet on Thursday 25 September 2025, 2.00 pm - Gedling Borough Council

When planning Carlton Active, the Council tested several different options to make sure the new centre would be both financially sustainable and aligned with what residents said they wanted. Detailed business case modelling was carried out for each option, looking at the likely income, costs and borrowing requirements, alongside evidence from the Leisure Strategy, market analysis and the public consultation.

Through this process, four options were considered: a basic “core” facility, core with soft play, core with indoor bowls, and core with both bowls and soft play. Each option was assessed against affordability, sustainability and community benefit. The consultation results showed strong demand for swimming, gym, group exercise and family-friendly provision, particularly soft play. By contrast, including a six-rink bowls facility created a significant financial deficit that would have reduced the Council’s ability to invest in the new centre. This was due to the potential additional capital borrowing costs for including a six-lane rink as part of the new facility.

On this basis, Cabinet agreed in September 2025 to move forward with the “core plus soft play” option. This facility mix will include an eight-lane 25-metre swimming pool, a learner/teaching pool, a 100+ station gym, an assisted exercise suite, two group exercise studios and a dedicated spin studio, a community room, a café linked to reception, and a soft play area for younger children.

We will be working to keep the facilities, such as the sports hall, and at the neighbouring school site, with community access maintained through a new agreement. The Council will work with partners, the Academy Trust and the relevant national governing bodies to explore how these facilities continue to be available for public use.

This mix provides the best balance between what local people asked for, the health and wellbeing priorities in the borough, and the need to reduce the ongoing subsidy. It ensures that Carlton Active will be modern, inclusive and accessible, while operating in a way that is financially viable for the long term

Gedling Indoor Bowls Club is currently based at the Richard Herrod Centre, which will be redeveloped to create Carlton Active. The Council recognises the importance of bowls to many residents, and the Club’s national reputation as a pioneer of disability bowls and inclusive sport.

As part of the Carlton Active planning, the Council tested options with and without a six-rink indoor bowls facility. The business case showed that including bowls within the new centre would create a significant ongoing financial deficit, making the project unaffordable. For this reason, Cabinet agreed in September 2025 that bowls provision will not form part of the core Carlton Active facility mix.

However, Cabinet also agreed that the Council will continue to work closely with Gedling Indoor Bowls Club to explore alternative options for securing its future. This includes looking at relocation opportunities and potential partnerships, while ensuring that any new arrangements remain financially sustainable. The Council’s support will be advisory, with responsibility for financing any relocation or new facility resting with the Club itself. The Council support may involve work to seeking external funding options for the Club to support future venue options for indoor bowls participation.

The Council has already provided substantial financial and practical support to the Club over recent years to help it remain viable, and will continue to work with the Club, Sport England and national governing bodies to protect the long-term future of indoor bowls in the borough.

Following Cabinet approval in September 2025, the Carlton Active project has now entered the RIBA Stage 1-2 (Concept Design) phase. Universal Civils & Build have been appointed under a Pre-Construction Services Agreement to work alongside Alliance Leisure and Hadron Consulting to develop the detailed concept designs.

The project is being delivered through the UK Leisure Framework, a national procurement framework that allows councils to appoint specialist leisure development partners directly. This route is quicker, more cost-effective and lower risk than running a full separate procurement process, because it provides access to experienced contractors and design teams who have already been quality-assured. Using the framework also gives the Council confidence on cost, programme and quality, while reducing delays.

During the remainder of 2025, the project team will:

• Finalise and present the RIBA 2 concept drawings, layouts and visuals.
• Undertake surveys and technical studies of the Richard Herrod site.
• Refine cost plans, funding strategies and risk assessments.
• Continue working with residents, partners and stakeholders to review the concept designs.

The completed Stage 2 package will then be reported back to Cabinet later in January 2026 for a decision on progressing to RIBA Stage 3 (Spatial Coordination and Planning Submission) in 2026.

If approved, the following steps would include detailed design, planning approval, and preparation for construction. Subject to Cabinet decisions and funding, construction could begin in late 2026.

Gedling Borough Council is reviewing how leisure services are delivered across the borough. Like many councils, we are under growing financial pressure and must make difficult decisions to protect essential services for the future.

Redhill, Carlton Forum, and Calverton Leisure Centres are not owned by the Council. They operate under joint use agreements (JUA) with Redhill Academy Trust and Nottinghamshire County Council, which allow Gedling Borough Council to run leisure services from those sites. However, these centres are becoming increasingly expensive to run and maintain. Without change, the cost of keeping them open could threaten the future of leisure services across all of Gedling.

We know how important local leisure centres are to people’s everyday lives - whether it’s swimming lessons for children, keeping active with friends, or simply having a welcoming space in the community. That’s why Gedling Borough Council is facing one of its hardest decisions with care, honesty and a commitment to involve residents at every step.

The 2025 Leisure Strategy, which was independently reviewed and approved by Cabinet in September 2025, recommended that the Council consult on whether it should withdraw from these joint use agreements.
This recommendation reflects the high operating subsidies, significant maintenance liabilities and limited long-term control the Council has over facilities it does not own.

For this reason, the Council will be launching a public consultation in October 2025 to hear residents’ and stakeholders’ views. This will be a genuine consultation process - no decision has yet been made to withdraw from any site. Your input will help shape the future of leisure in Gedling.

What is being considered is whether continuing to operate from JUA sites remains financially viable in the long term. If the Council were to decide to withdraw from a JUA site, a two-year formal notice period would apply. During this time, the Council would work with schools, partners and national governing bodies to protect community access at these sites, for example for sports halls and sports pitches, and explore alternatives such as expanded services at the new facilities, such as Carlton Active, or new partnership models that enable some ongoing service delivery for the community.

We know how important local leisure centres are to people’s everyday lives, whether that’s swimming lessons for children, staying active with friends, or simply having a welcoming space in the community. That’s why this decision is being approached with care, openness and a commitment to involving residents at every step.

The Richard Herrod Centre will continue to operate as normal for now, but new customer bookings will not be taken beyond 26th April 2026.
This is an operational planning decision made by the Council’s Senior Leadership Team to support the feasibility and business case work currently underway for the proposed Carlton Active which could be developed on the same site.

Stopping bookings at this point allows the Council to:

• Avoid short-notice cancellations for customers if construction goes ahead
• Prepare for any early site surveys or technical works that may be required
• Align with the end of the Gedling Indoor Bowls Club lease, for consistency
• Provide staff, customers and user groups with clear timelines and expectations

Importantly, this is not a closure of the Centre, and no decision has been made yet about whether construction will go ahead. The Centre will remain open and operating. Any future changes would be subject to formal Cabinet approval and full staff consultation.

We understand how important the Richard Herrod Centre is to the many clubs, community groups, and regular users who rely on its facilities. If redevelopment of the site goes ahead, the Council is committed to ensuring these groups are supported throughout the transition.
In the event that the site needs to be temporarily closed for construction, the Council will:

• Work proactively with each group to understand their specific needs (e.g. space, accessibility, equipment)
• Identify suitable alternative venues across the Gedling Leisure portfolio and the wider community, where this is possible
• Offer practical relocation support to minimise disruption to activities and memberships
• Provide regular updates to ensure all users feel informed and supported

Carlton Forum Leisure Centre will remain open and continue operating as normal throughout the planning and potential construction of the new Carlton Active.

There are currently no plans to close or reduce services at Carlton Forum while the Richard Herrod site is under review. The Council is committed to maintaining business continuity across the leisure portfolio, and Carlton Forum plays a key role in providing ongoing access to sport and fitness in the area.

If the new centre is approved and construction goes ahead, Carlton Forum will continue to operate until the new facility is fully built and ready to open - ensuring no gap in service delivery for customers, clubs or the community.

• Summer 2025: Community, stakeholder, and staff consultation.
• Late 2025: Finalisation of feasibility work and business case.
• January 2026: Cabinet decision on whether to proceed with the project to Pre-construction.
• Post-Jan 2026: If approved, detailed planning for construction and temporary service re-design would begin.

Ambition Arnold is a long-term regeneration project led by Gedling Borough Council to transform the north end of Arnold town centre, with a focus on the area surrounding Arnold Leisure Centre, Arnold Library, and the Bonington Theatre.

The goal of the project is to create a modern, inclusive, and accessible cultural and wellbeing hub, where residents can access leisure, learning, entertainment, and community services all in one connected location. It forms part of the Council’s broader commitment to invest in local places, improve community outcomes, and deliver high-quality services in buildings that are sustainable and fit for the future.

The current vision includes the redevelopment and co-location of several key public services across two core sites:

Arnold Leisure Centre:

A new or refurbished leisure centre is proposed, featuring:

• A main swimming pool and learner pool
• A 130-station gym
• 3 group exercise studios
• A community space
• A café and modernised reception area

Bonington Theatre:

A separate cultural venue designed to support both live and screen entertainment, including:

• A 225-seat theatre
• 2 cinema screens
• Community space
• Food and beverage offer (e.g. café/bar) to enhance the visitor experience

The ambition is to take a phased approach, with the Bonington Theatre redevelopment planned as the first stage, followed by a wider transformation of the leisure centre once funding is secured.

All services — including the existing Arnold Leisure Centre — will remain open and operational until any new facilities are complete, ensuring business continuity and ongoing public access.

No decisions have been finalised yet. The project is currently in the feasibility and visioning phase. Any future redevelopment would depend on:

• The outcome of detailed feasibility and site studies
• The availability of external and internal capital funding
• Cabinet and elected Member approval
• Full consultation with staff, users, partners, and stakeholders
• The Council is also exploring external funding opportunities to support phased delivery.

The project is in the early strategic planning phase. Initial work has been completed to assess the site potential, how services could be brought together, and how to phase the development. Work is ongoing to shape the overall vision, delivery strategy and funding model.

During summer 2025, the Council consulted with residents, partners and local organisations on the RIBA Stage 2 concept drawings and the overall vision for the scheme. This consultation invited feedback on the proposed layouts, facility mix, and how the redevelopment could best meet local needs and support the town centre.

The Stage 2 designs have now been completed, incorporating the feedback received. A Cabinet decision on whether to progress the scheme to the next stage of design and planning will be made later in the year.