A REPORT, commissioned by Bromsgrove District Council, has been released detailing the potential costs and designs of a new four-court sports hall in the town centre.

The 41-page document, produced by construction company Mace, was presented to the council's Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Thursday (May 24) in response to the council's options appraisal, which outlined seven possible options for the new hall - with costs ranging from £3m to £4.7m.

Bromsgrove Advertiser:

Option 1 retains the existing sports hall and equipment store, with a changing facility extension to the side and a 2nd reception, costing £3m in total.

The retention of the old hall makes this the cheapest option of the lot, but its disjoint from the main leisure centre means visitors would need to walk between the two sites, which could put them off using the centre's cafe, says Mace.

Bromsgrove Advertiser:

Option 1a is similar to the first, but with a soft play area extension to the side and a split-level 2nd reception, costing an extra £1.1m.

Bromsgrove Advertiser:

Option 2 proposes a new sports hall and changing pavilion located on the rear of the land, with a covered walkway between the two buildings, at a cost of £3.5m.

An external door would replace an existing window at Bromsgrove Sports and Leisure Centre to link the two buildings, and its location means the bulk of the hall would be concealed behind the centre, avoiding a split car park.

Bromsgrove Advertiser:

Option 3 is similar to 2, but places the hall at a higher ground level. Access between the two sites would be via new steps and an existing external ramp - reducing the cost slightly by £15,000.

Mace does point out, however, that the layout would leave a large area of unusable space around the entrance.

Bromsgrove Advertiser:

Option 4 outlines the possibility of constructing a hybrid modular system off-site, which would then incorporate a new hall, changing pavilion and equipment stores.

The £3.1m unit could then be connected to the leisure centre via a covered walkthrough from the main reception.

Option 4a includes the addition of a soft play facility within the modular unit, at an added cost of £700,000.

Bromsgrove Advertiser:

The final option proposes a new unconnected sports hall, changing pavilion and soft play at the rear of the site - at a higher cost of £4.7m.

John Godwin, head of leisure and cultural services at the council, said a soft play facility would maximise the council's profits from the build.

But Cllr Rod Laight insisted that the council could still not afford to refurbish or rebuild the Dolphin Centre sports hall.

On Wednesday, Cabinet will be asked to recommend to full council that £180,000 be made available for consultants to produce a more extensive design plan for the new hall.

**Images are indicative designs only and design could change when a decided option is undertaken