New Crowle Sports Centre plans move ahead

The plush new Sports Centre is now one step closer to fruition, with its facilities to be approved by North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee, hopefully, by January 15 next year.

Included within the much awaited Centre to be based at the Axholme Academy on Wharf Road will be a 25-metre swimming pool, with a state-of-the-art gymnasium, a mirrored dance and fitness studio, tennis and netball hard courts, an upgraded sports hall and floodlit artificial grass pitch.

The pool and gym will each have their own changing rooms, and additional parking facilities form part of the over all plans.

Consultations were held in Crowle initially in the middle of last year, to find out what local people would prefer their sports centre to offer, and where they would like it to be based.

The entire £4.5 million scheme began with scribbled post-it notes, pinned up on the wall of a meeting room in Crowle Community Hall.

Joe Sellars, the principal at the Axholme Academy, said then that he hoped members of the public would have significant use of the facilities both during and at the end of the school day, aong with weekends and holidays.

He added: “People will be able to access sport and leisure facilities without the expense and time needed to travel to other centres.”

Coun John Briggs, ward member for Axholme North and cabinet member for Assets, Culture and Housing at North Lincolnshire Council, said: “The plans for Axholme North Sports Centre are coming together which is really exciting. It will be a fantastic facility for people in the Isle of Axholme.

“We consulted with residents a few months back, showing them the plans for the Sports Centre to get their views. We received some really positive comments from residents about the proposals. It’s important that we ensure the Sports Centre meets people’s needs and keep the community involved throughout as it is their facility, so we want to get it right.

“We have also received great support already from local sports clubs and Axholme Academy for this new Sports Centre wanting to buy in, which shows it’s something the whole community is backing.”

The building is scheduled to open in early 2017.

Anyone wishing to make comment on the plans, that can be viewed online at www.northlincs.gov.uk must do so by November 19.

The application and plans can also be viewed at the Civic Centre, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, and from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays.