Work is underway on a new £13m leisure centre to replace an ‘outdated’ facility in Newark.

The centre in Bowbridge Road, Balderton on the outskirts of Newark, will replace Grove Leisure Centre which was built in 1968. The project’s main contractor R. G. Carter is now on site and hopes to bring the Watson Batty-designed plans to fruition by Q2 2016.

The 4,260sq m (45,854sq ft) two-storey building will include a four-court sports hall, a 25m (82ft) swimming pool and a 20m (66ft) teaching pool, as well as squash courts and a fitness suite. FT Leisure has been appointed to provide the water treatment and filtration systems, as well as 2 Poolpod access systems. Poolpod is a swimming pool lift which assists swimmer who finds using pool access difficult – such as wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments.

The site will be operated by Newark and Sherwood District Council’s new leisure trust, which the executive approved creation of on 29 January. The Grove Leisure Centre in Newark, the Dukeries in Ollerton and the Blidworth Community Leisure Centre will also be run by the as-yet unnamed not-for-profit company, that will have a specific focus on leisure, sport, health and wellbeing. The council says the savings it can make through the new company by reducing its VAT and business rates liability will enable it to cut the current £506,000 annual subsidy to the leisure centres to zero by 2020.

Councillor Tony Roberts, chair of the council’s leisure and environment committee, said: “With 12,000 users, one in 10 of our residents use the council’s leisure centres. Independent experts have recognised that they are run very efficiently and represent excellent value for money.

“These changes will ensure the long-term viability of our leisure centres and, with the council needing to save nearly £1m in the financial year 2015-16, the savings made will make a significant contribution to that total.”