Further details have been revealed of Larkhall’s planned new £24 million leisure centre – with an “update on arrangements” for the much-discussed use of additional facilities at the neighbouring high school to be provided in the new year.
South Lanarkshire Council say it will have a 25-metre swimming pool with a moveable floor to adjust the water depth, a gym with “high-spec” cardiovascular and resistance equipment plus free weight training areas, and a multipurpose fitness studio which will accommodate dance, badminton and community use.
Games hall provision for sports including basketball and indoor football is to be accommodated at Larkhall Academy, with centre users and community representatives expressing concern over the past year about insufficient space and availability; but the local authority says “there remains overwhelming support for a new leisure centre in Larkhall”, saying: “A recent survey found that 87 per cent of respondents are still backing plans for the new centre”.
A council update on plans for the centre states: “It will include a six-lane swimming pool [with] a moveable floor to adjust the depth for swimming lessons, and there will also be a spectators’ area, steam room and sauna.
“The gym will accommodate high spec cardiovascular and resistance equipment, along with free weight training areas. The fitness and dance studio will be a multipurpose space to cater for the latest trends in fitness, be lined and double standard height to accommodate badminton. The room will also be suitable for community activities [and] there will also be a flexible community space with a tea prep area.
“Proposals are also being progressed for Larkhall Academy to become a ‘dual use facility’ which will improve access and bookings and create a campus of community and sports accommodation. The school has a four-court games hall and two gyms, which can accommodate several sports including badminton, indoor football, basketball and more; an update on these arrangements will be provided in the new year.”
Council leader Joe Fagan said: “The current Larkhall leisure centre has held a special place in the heart of the community for decades. The new facility will be a brand new, state-of the-art centre which the community can be proud of and which is fit for generations to come.
“We would like to thank all those who came along to the community drop-in sessions in October and November this year to review the initial plans. The concept designs were developed based on the outcomes from a previous consultation exercise in 2022 which identified the highest priorities to be a swimming pool, gym, multipurpose space for fitness activities, and a health suite.
“It was advised that due to budget pressures, a like-for-like replacement facility was not possible, but we will do the best we can with the budget available and maximise the use of Larkhall Academy to create a sports and leisure campus for the community. With a budget of £23.9 million, the new Larkhall leisure centre will be the most expensive facility – outwith the secondary schools’ programme – the council has built.”
The current centre is almost 60 years old and is being replaced as the building is considered “beyond its useful life” with millions of pounds of investment being required simply to maintain the facility, which is not suitable for further upgrading and presents accessibility issues.
Local residents have shared concerns about the reduced games hall space in the new centre and being unable to use the Academy’s facilities during exam periods or when in school use, as well as their worries that not all of the potential user groups will be able to have their bookings accommodated.
Members of the town’s pickleball group have told how they are already having to travel to East Kilbride and Blantyre to play due to floor damage at the current Larkhall centre; they have received backing from ward councillors Richard Nelson and Ross Clark, while Gillian Mackay, the Central Scotland MSP, has also written to the council noting the closure of other nearby halls and outlining concerns about capacity.
She said in a video shared on social media: “There are several sports clubs that use the variety of venues this is supposed to replace for everything from badminton to martial – they’re really concerned about what facilities they’re going to have [and] where they’re going to be able to go.
“I have heard from some constituents that they are concerned about the availability of Larkhall Academy halls on evenings and weekends, so what we’re looking for is a plan that addresses the need of the community; it’s making sure that they have a facility that’s fit for purpose given the number of facilities that are closing and that everything’s being filtered into this one.”
David Booth, the council’s community and enterprise resources executive director, told the Hamilton Advertiser last month: “This leisure centre is the biggest project outside the secondary school estate. We want to get as much value out of the budget as possible.
“A four-court games hall does not fit into the affordability envelope. We are progressing well with changing the status of Larkhall Academy from being a standard school to dual-use – negotiations are ongoing with the PPP contractor.”
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