Kirkby-in-Ashfield's new £15.5 million leisure centre was opened by former England midfielder Tom Huddlestone. Huddlestone, who has recently joined Manchester United on a player-coach deal, said he was "thrilled to be part of the official opening".
"After cutting the ribbon, I enjoyed a tour of the amazing new facilities," he said. "It is a fantastic new building and something that Ashfield District Council and local residents should be very proud of. I hope families will enjoy the facilities and use them for many years to come.”
Huddlestone grew up in Nottingham before joining Derby County where he made his name in the game and went on to sign for Tottenham Hotspur in 2005 in a multi-million-pound deal. He had two spells at Hull City in between a return to the East Midlands when he re-joined Derby in 2017.
He was invited by the district council to an event which officially marked the opening of the new leisure centre, in Hodgkinson Road, on Saturday, August 6. The new facility was first promised in 1935.
The keys to the new leisure centre were recently handed to the district council and leisure management company Everyone Active. It boasts a 25-metre swimming pool with a splash pad area, multi-purpose sports hall, fitness suite, climbing wall, soft play area and steam room. There will also be a sauna, cafe and a well-being studio along with a sensory room.
The leisure centre also features a sports hall which has the capability to be used as a cinema facility with 196 retractable seats. The leisure centre has been under construction since December 2020, with the council having promised to build the state-of-the-art centre in 2019.
Ashfield Independents Councillor Jason Zadrozny, the leader of the authority, said the new pool proved "politicians can keep their promises”. He added: “The new swimming pool in Kirkby puts to an end to 87 years of hurt. 87 years of broken promises by previous councils. The Ashfield Independents made a promise to the people of Kirkby in 2019.
"The new, fully accessible swimming pool shows that politicians can keep their promises. Our new leisure centre is about much more than a pool, it’s about giving residents the state of the art facilities they deserve.
"I’d like to thank everybody who has helped us realise our dream. Kirkby finally has a swimming pool and I couldn’t be prouder to be the leader of the council that delivered it.”
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