Huntingdonshire District Council wants to extend and refurbish a leisure centre it runs to meet growing demand for the facilities.

New swimming pools and fitness facilities could be built in Huntingdon under plans to improve the town’s leisure centre. Huntingdonshire District Council has submitted a planning application to extend and refurbish One Leisure Huntingdon, including building new swimming pools and fitness suites. It also includes plans to relocate an artificial pitch and create new racket courts.

Councillors are due to consider the plans at a meeting on Monday, February 16. Planning documents submitted as part of the application said current pool facilities mean the leisure centre is “not fulfilling its potential” due to the age and range of what is available.

The plans said: “The extent of refurbishment works required to bring it up to a necessary standard is not considered commercially viable. It is proposed therefore that the ‘wet’ side facilities are to be merged with the ‘dry’ side offering by way of a two-storey extension. The existing ‘wet’ side facility is to be refurbished for non-pool related activities.”

A new 25-metre eight-lane swimming pool with a spectator seating area is proposed, as well as a 13-metre learner pool, and other associated facilities.

The plans said there is currently a “significant under provision” of swimming and fitness facilities in the district. It said: “It is evident that the provision of new swimming pools, fitness suites and external sports pitches will provide needed sports facilities helping to address identified deficiencies.

“The development proposals represent significant investment in council owned community infrastructure. There will be significant economic benefits during the construction period and subsequent benefits will stem from both increased operational employment and the socio-economic benefits of increased public participation in health and fitness.”

A report published ahead of the meeting next week highlights that support for the project has been shared by Huntingdon Town Council and Sports England.

An objection to the development has been raised by Anglian Water due to concerns about the plans for foul water drainage to go to the Huntingdon (Godmanchester) Water Recycling Centre. The report said this has “insufficient capacity to accept the additional flows from the development”.

Officers said they asked Anglian Water for more information about the concerns, including to what extent that development would result in a net increase in foul flows, given there is an existing leisure centre, and what the environmental harm could be.

The report said the response from Anglian Water explained that its objection did not take into account that this is a refurbishment and extension of an existing leisure centre, rather than a whole new facility being provided.

Officers said in the planning balance they gave weight to the “potential environmental risks arising from the additional flows generated by the expanded wet-side facilities”.

However, they also highlighted the “clear and substantial public benefits” of the project, including the upgraded health and recreation facilities. Officers said they therefore recommended that the application is approved, subject to conditions.

The report said: “Not all developments are entirely without harm or entirely without benefit. In reaching a recommendation, the identified harm has been carefully balanced against the benefits of the development.

“In this case, the cumulative benefits are considered sufficient to outweigh the identified less than substantial harm to a designated heritage asset and the environmental harm arising from the additional foul flows generated by the proposed development.”

Councillors will make the final decision on whether planning permission is granted for the proposed development when they consider the application next week.

For more planning notices in your area visit publicnoticeportal.uk .