The timeline to bring a new swimming pool to Norfolk is being outlined this week.
North Norfolk District Council is discussing the new sports facility in Fakenham at its full council meeting on November 20.
The day before, Steve Blatch and Steve Hems will be attending Fakenham Town Council to present to them the details of the report for the £11m project.
The meeting will advise the council of government funding for the proposed Fakenham Leisure and Sports Hub and outline the steps the council will now take to deliver the project in the coming months for a pool and 3G pitch.
The Government funding of £9.9 million, with the council recommending additional funds coming from Section 106, and from the Football Foundation - any shortfall in funding will need to be found by NNDC, for which borrowing will take place.
The meeting also hopes to set up two groups, one steering group, and one internal project team.
In documents published ahead of the meeting, it states that the government offer letter advising of funding support has suggested that ideally the pool will be delivered by March 2026.
The document adds: “This would be ambitious from a standing start and the detailed programme will need agreement with the government in the coming weeks. However, it would be hoped that detailed project construction designs and technical reports, surveys,etc can be prepared and agreed by April 2024 at which time a planning application for the proposed facilities would be submitted.
“It would be hoped that this could be determined by September 2024, with the summer months being used concurrently to develop detailed tender documentation and the running of a detailed procurement process allowing the appointment of a construction partner by October 2024; with construction commencing thereafter with an anticipated 18-month contract period. These timescales are provisional at this time and need to be agreed.”
In terms of a completion date, assuming everything goes to plan, an opening of mid-2026 would be the target for NNDC.
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