In recent weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the new District Leisure and the facilities which it will contain.

To alleviate any doubt, I can confirm at present we are planning for the centre to have: an eight lane 25m pool with 40 permanent spectator seats but room for more temporary seating, a learner pool with a moveable floor, a health & fitness suite with 120 stations, two activity studios, a four court sports hall and a full size artificial grass pitch.

Our mix of facilities has been developed with national, regional and local sporting bodies and to anticipate the future growth of East Cambridgeshire.

We then put out our proposals for feedback via public consultation which was where the City of Ely Swimming Club and members of the public suggested some refinements to the scheme such as ‘beach access’ to the learner pool and increased spectator seating.

In answer to those ideas, we believe the moving floor option provides an excellent alternative approach to using confidence water and we are working with the designers to incorporate some flexible seating arrangements for events.

I have said it before but it is worth repeating - we all want the new district leisure centre to be the very best it can be but we cannot plan for a centre which pushes our budget too far. This is why we must be very careful with what goes into the facility – we cannot afford to waste one square foot of space.

I hope the City of Ely Swimming Club appreciate our position and will continue to work with us to make the new pool a success.

Over the next couple of months, we will be working very hard on the final plans which will form part of the detailed planning application which will be submitted early next year.

These are very exciting times and I know I am not the only one who is looking forward to what the centre will bring and mean for all our communities.

CLLR RICHARD HOBBS

Chairman of commercial services

East Cambs District Council