Work on £2.8m leisure centre about to start

Apr 17 2008 By George Topp

WORK on Carluke’s new leisure centre is due to begin on Monday.

The £2.8 million development is being carried out by the council’s own housing and technical resources workforce.

The project is expected to be complete by mid January next year and scheduled to open to the public around mid February.

The building has been closed since December last year for surveys and for the advance works to be carried out.

Councillor Gerry Convery, Chairman of South Lanarkshire’s Community Resources said: “This is a terrific boost for the town of Carluke.

“All of the areas previously occupied by Carluke High School are being adapted and refurbished for community leisure use which will significantly increase the facilities available.

“This refurbishment project will allow South Lanarkshire Council, working in partnership with South Lanarkshire Leisure Ltd, to provide high- quality leisure facilities and extended opening hours at the centre.

“I am sure that the people of Carluke and the surrounding area will be delighted with this much improved facility when it is complete.”

The new Carluke Leisure Centre will be able to offer a much larger state-of-the-art, hi-tech gym including a junior gym and all day opening for both the pool and the dry side areas.

Facilities will also include two new purpose designed dance studios, a crèche, a new health suite, upgraded changing and catering facilities and increased parking.

The centre will also benefit from the development of a new, improved reception and arrival area, the relocation of the sauna and steam room facilities linked to the poolside and community/activity rooms.

Carluke High School co-occupied the Leisure Centre building using a range of activity and classroom areas until the development of the new secondary school opened in October 2007.

It was agreed that the areas previously occupied by the school would be refurbished for leisure use to double the size of the dry side leisure facilities available to the community within Carluke. Previously, health suite users had to access the swimming pool via the public entrance area.

South Lanarkshire Leisure met with a users group throughout 2007 to develop agreed proposals for the scope of the project.