Swimming pool will be built on part of Bowstring Bridge site, pledges university
A university's vice-chancellor has vowed a planned sports centre and swimming pool will go ahead, despite fears about higher education funding.
Professor Dominic Shellard said he was very "enthusiastic" about the De Montfort University project which would be a "big community asset".
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De Montfort University has promised the Bowstring Bridge will be replaced
Plans for the complex, partly on land where the Bowstring Bridge once stood, will be submitted within the next few months.
Prof Shellard said the project was in the university budget for next year and although the university could face cuts in its funding in the Government's comprehensive spending review, the sports centre was still going to be built.
He said: "I would not be doing my job as vice-chancellor if I was not keeping an eye on what the comprehensive spending review says and reflect on how that could affect our delivery of this.
"But this centre will be going ahead. It's something I know there were issues about."
Prof Shellard said he hoped the sports centre, which would be open to the public, would improve relations with the community.
He said: "This will be a big community asset. It will help improve the environment for our students."
De Montfort said it needed to demolish the 112-year-old Bowstring Bridge and Pump and Tap pub before Christmas so work could begin as soon as possible.
The Government announced in February that £449 million was to be cut from university budgets.
After rumours circulated earlier this year that the university had scrapped the sports centre plan for financial reasons, it issued a statement denying this and said it planned to start building work in the first quarter of next year.
The university was hoping to have submitted plans by May but it faced delays after Leicester Civic Society applied for the existing John Sandford sports centre to be given listed status.
However, a bid to English Heritage – as the centre has what is believed to be one of the largest and oldest examples of a Belfast truss roof – failed.
A university spokesman said: "It has always been our intention to submit a planning application for a sports centre this year and we are still on track to meet that timetable.
"We expect to submit it in the autumn.
"There was a delay of four months due to the Civic Society applying to English Heritage to have the existing sports centre listed but this was dismissed in April.
"Although there has been no sign of activity on the site, a lot is going on behind the scenes and we look forward to building the new sports centre for use by members of the public and our students."
The spokesman said the cost of the centre was not finalised.
Leicester Civic Society campaigned against the demolition of the bridge and pub.
Spokesman Derek Hollingsworth said: "They were so eager to get the bridge and Pump and Tap destroyed but we are still waiting to find out what is going to happen.
"They will still have to demolish the sports centre and the viaduct.
"We can only hope that what replaces all this will not be some ugly glass box but fits in with the area.
"We can have regrets about what has gone but it has happened now."
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by jon-paul, leicester
Friday, July 30 2010, 12:51AM
“i dont remember reading in the article that there would be a membership fee to use the new pool? ah, but this is leicester and people have learnt to expect the worse, even when faced with something positive. remind me, what is unique about leicester. what gives leicester it's identity? walkers crisps? foxes? is that it? yes, it's all been demolished. byebye heritage and culture, hello concrete and dullness.”
by karin, Oadby
Thursday, July 29 2010, 7:41PM
“Matt, is that the building that looks like an Arriva bus but without the wheels?”
by Jon, leics
Thursday, July 29 2010, 3:52PM
“Matt
¿without being funded through the City Council's purse I might add¿
So they paid the market price for the land did they, I think you will find the council virtually gave them the land in return for the promised swimming baths
¿the Queens building or the recently opened Business & Law building should show that University is far from bland when designing new buildings for the campus, and this is to be applauded¿
You mean that horrible monstrosity jutting out over the road overshadowing The Magazine (one of the few historic buildings left that the council have not got rid of) well if that¿s the standard it won¿t be sympathetic to the area.
¿If DMU wants to charge a membership fee, it's perfectly within its rights to do so¿
What about the aforementioned deal - land for swimming baths? don¿t Leicester residents get anything back under this deal. it should be a straight forward entrance fee no membership required.”
by Arthur Collin, Braunstone Town
Thursday, July 29 2010, 2:30PM
“I quote "Prof Shellard said the project was in the university budget for next year".
Is that the University year 2010/11 or 2011/12. So why the rush in late 2009 to demolish the pub, cut the bridge into sections and ship it to wherever the USA?
I would also suggest the locals should not wait with bated breath for "their" swimming pool.”
by Matt, Leicester
Thursday, July 29 2010, 2:04PM
“Oh look, the DMU bashing has started up again, I thought it had gone a bit quiet!
For years people complained about the lack of a swimming pool in the area following the closure of St. Margarets, and now that one is to be built (without being funded through the City Council's purse I might add) people still aren't happy!
People are too quick to criticise DMU for the Bowstring Bridge being demolished, yet won't give credit to DMU for bringing the Magazine Gateway back into public access, or recognise the fact that DMU has brought a lot of formerly disused buildings back into use, so to say that the University doesn't care about the heritage of the City is nonsense.
Karin - The Queens building or the recently opened Business & Law building should show that University is far from bland when designing new buildings for the campus, and this is to be applauded.
Sandie - If DMU wants to charge a membership fee, it's perfectly within its rights to do so...the current 12 months membership charge quoted on the website is much cheaper than what you would pay to use a privately owned sports centre.
Just to be clear, I am not an employee of the University, but I'm a Leicester local born and bred and a former student, and whilst I don't agree with everything it has done in the past, I believe it is on the right track now, and the new Sports Centre will be an asset to the area for years to come.”
by Sandie, Westcotes
Thursday, July 29 2010, 12:45PM
“Will we, the previously ignored residents, be consulted with regarding the aesthetics of the replacement structure? Both the demolished structures were important to many who live in the area, and we deserve far better treatment from this, seemingly arrogant, university.
I don't expect for one minute that I will be able to afford to use this pool - I'm sure I'll be requested to pay a membership fee if the current DMU sports centre is anything to go by.”
by Karin, Oadby
Thursday, July 29 2010, 12:30PM
“Promising to replace an iconic structure with a community sports facility.. strike up the bland.”
by Nick, West End
Thursday, July 29 2010, 11:37AM
“We need more leisure facilities but I wonder how much welcome local residents will really be as they already pay several times more to use the John Sandford than DMU students, staff and their families.”
by Mr A, leics
Thursday, July 29 2010, 11:07AM
“"De Montfort University has promised the Bowstring Bridge will be replaced "
Interesting sub-heading to the lead headline......”
by David, Great Easton, Rural Leicestershire.
Thursday, July 29 2010, 10:40AM
“So the Bowstring Bridge and Tap House public house were pulled down WITHOUT a planning application or permission being granted for a sports centre and swimming pool beforehand.
What happens if the City Council refuse, for any reason, the University's proposal?!!”