03-06-2025
More than a dozen swimming baths extension bids received by council
More than a dozen tenders to build an extension to the Wavelengths swimming pool and leisure centre in Nelson have been received by Pendle Council.
The project will be funded by the £25 million Nelson Town Deal, and 14 tenders of between £473,000 and £934,000 have been received and accepted by the council, according to a new report.
Now, a decision needs to be made on which business – or businesses – will win the contract.
Leading councillors on Pendle's executive looked at bids this week, and a decision on a contractor is due soon.
Wavelengths is one of a number of council-owned leisure centres operated by the arms-length body Pendle Leisure Trust on behalf of the borough council.
The future of leisure centres has been a topic of debate over recent years, with rising energy costs, building maintenance, and squeezed council budgets all having an impact.
At one point, a consultant's review suggested closing one of the three main leisure centres, but that was later rejected after the Liberal Democrats and Independents took shared political control of the borough.
Last summer, Pendle Council's executive backed a plan to invest in Wavelengths and was told extended facilities, including gym and fitness features, could boost the overall number of visits by more than 100,000.
Increased customer use and payment would be needed to reach financial savings, which cannot be achieved through energy efficiencies alone, councillors were told.
Furthermore, an expanded Wavelengths could assist the wider regeneration of Nelson town centre, which includes knocking down and redeveloping Pendle Rise shopping centre.
Wavelengths could provide vital extra revenue to counterbalance the council's financial pressures elsewhere, councillors said.
Last summer, Lib Dem Councillor David Whipp had said he wanted the Wavelengths spending decision delayed until September, when a review of all three leisure centres at Nelson, Colne, and Barnoldswick was due.
But, most other councillors disagreed and said time was marching on with the Nelson Town Deal.
Cllr Whipp also warned of a potential falling out between communities if one town was seen as getting more investment than another.
However, other councillors said Colne was getting significant investment too with Levelling-Up funding for the Muni Theatre, other theatre spaces and Colne Market Hall.
Pendle Council was also granted a £1.7 million public building de-carbonisation grant for West Craven Sports Centre in Barnoldswick and Wavelengths in Nelson, separately from the Town Deal.
Existing gas-fired boilers, which supply heating and hot water,r will be replaced with air source heat pumps and windows will be upgraded.
The council said it has provided an additional £900,000, bringing the total investment in the two leisure centres to £2.6 million.
