BREAKING: New £12 million leisure centre in Mablethorpe given go-ahead

The Station Sports and Leisure Centre will double as a learning hub and will offer a four-lane 25 metre swimming pool, gym, fitness studios, an adventure play area and a café.

It forms part of a series of multi-million pound projects for Mablethorpe which have received around £23.9 million of Towns Fund investment, and will hire 16 full-time equivalent employees, three times as many as currently.

The current leisure centre on Station Road, along with its multi-use games area, will be demolished as part of the plans, which promise “more than just a leisure centre”.

Councillors on East Lindsey District Council’s planning committee gave the plans the go-ahead this morning (Thursday).

Ward Member Tony Howard told members this was the “most eagerly anticipated planning application for Mablethorpe in a generation”.

“People have been looking for this for a long, long time,” he said.

He said the modern look of the building would fit into the area which was “slowly but surely” getting modernised, and looked to reassure people that the facilities lost by the build would be suitably replaced.

He asked for the nearby war memorial to be allowed to continue to be used to allow for various events during the year.

Moving for approval, Councillor Terry Aldridge said: “Something like this is well overdue for Mablethorpe and this is a huge asset for the community and visitors that come to the town.”

Sports groups and the town council had backed the plans which started life in 2018 as a refurbishment or extension of the leisure centre.

Designers soon decided that a new build would be the best way to provide needed facilities.

There will be rooms and studios which can be used flexibly for community activities.

The existing car park would be replaced by a new 78-space one, including a number of electric vehicle charging points.

The development of the hub is being led by East Lindsey District Council, and Coun Richard Fry, the political lead for the Leisure and Learning Hub Towns Deal project said: “This scheme will help improve the health and wellbeing of residents in Mablethorpe for years to come as well as providing new opportunities for learning in the town.

“It’s no secret that a swimming pool has been a desire of many residents in Mablethorpe over the years. This scheme, thanks to the Towns Deal funding, now makes that possible.

"I am delighted the Planning Committee approved the application and I look forward to seeing the benefits the scheme will bring to Mablethorpe.”

Chris Baron, Chair of Connected Coast commented: “With planning consent approved, we can now move forward with developing the hub which will significantly enhance the opportunities for leisure and learning for Mablethorpe.

“This is an important development and one that will play a crucial role in supporting health and wellbeing as well as enabling people to gain skills that can lead to jobs and business opportunities.

“This is a significant milestone for the project and we now look forward to seeing the development progress over the coming years.”

The proposals have been developed by the council, along with Magna Vitae and leisure development specialist Alliance Leisure.