Work set to start next month on £1.8m upgrade of three Northampton leisure centres

Earlier this year Northampton Borough Council’s cabinet agreed a £1.8 million capital budget to carry out works at Upper Mounts Baths, Danes Camp Leisure Centre and Lings Forum, which would make them more environmentally and financially efficient.

The council outsourced the management and operations of the leisure centres in 2011 to Unity Leisure (now Trilogy Leisure), but the leases requires the council, as landlord, to undertake refurbishments and renewals.

And that work is expected to start next month at one of the leisure centres, with more work being undertaken on the remaining two in the New Year.

The council will undertake the first tender process for the urgent works this month, with construction taking place in November and December. These works will focus on the replacement of the Mounts Baths boilers, which have failed. Further works will then be tendered in November and December, with all the works aiming to be completed by May

2021.

A council report states: “The most extensive works are planned to the Mounts Baths, this is due to the age of the equipment and the listed status adding to the complexity of the works in this building.”

Other work across the three centres is expected to focus on air handling and condition units, pumps and filtration and energy efficient lighting.

The Lings Forum building will be given the least priority out of the three , as it is currently being investigated for redevelopment and would therefore have a ‘shorter’ lifespan. The report adds: “Given the plans to deliver a new health and wellbeing hub at Weston Favell in the next five years, improvements to this site will be lighter than the other two sites. Any works to take place at Lings will either need to be essential to keep the centre open or have a pay back of five years or less.”

At a further cabinet meeting on Wednesday (October 14), members agreed to delegate authority to officers to appoint the contractors for the work following the completion of the tender process. They also approved a legal budget of up to a maximum of £25,000 if deemed necessary to procure external legal expertise in construction in connection with the works.

Cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor Tim Hadland, said: “This is a really good move forward and the sense of urgency is very much there to get this done.”

Council leader Jonathan Nunn added: “We’re very supportive of this work going ahead as it will enhance the quality of services for our residents.”