Kimberley leisure centre to close after Broxtowe negotiation breakdown

Kimberley Gym & Swim will close after 49 years, due to negotiations between Broxtowe Borough Council and The Kimberley School falling through.

In a statement released by Council Leader Milan Radulovic, the authority said it "can no longer commit to the very significant financial contributions" required to keep the location open.

The land is owned by The Kimberley School, which became an academy in 2012. Previously, it was owned by Nottinghamshire County Council from when it ran the site.

There were rumours about its potential shut-down before a final decision was taken behind closed doors in a Cabinet meeting on 5 December - with the public and press excluded.

In an online post twenty days before the official announcement, Councillor Philip Owen stated that the negotiations between Broxtowe Borough Council's wholly-owned company Liberty Leisure Limited and The Kimberley School had "reached an impasse".

The school had proposed for the council to increase its financial contributions to the jointly-managed pool, which it states make a loss of £300,000 each year.

The closure on the 31 March 2024 will deprive locals of swimming facilities - the nearest alternative in Heanor is 30 minutes away on public transport.

It will also impact the Kimberley Swimming Club, who led an unsuccessful petition with over 3,500 signatures to save the site.

Alan Pink, the club's chairman, expressed "We're devastated, you can just see the communities reaction. There is nowhere else really."

The club have said that they are seeking an alternative pool to host activities for its 243 members.

Ben Mellor