AT one time it was thought that it would never happen, but on Monday night Whitehill Town Council gave the thumbs up to the final details of a planned new leisure centre for the town.

The leisure centre, if given final planning permission by East Hampshire District Council, would have a six-lane swimming pool and the latest gym facilities in a new building off Budds Lane.

The plan will now go before East Hampshire District Council for a final decision and if councillors give the go ahead, work on the centre is expected to start in April, with an opening planned for next year.

Describing the planned new leisure centre as “brilliant”, town councillor Andy Tree told fellow members: “It looks good and, although it doesn’t compare with the one (swimming pool) they (the district council) are building in Alton, this can only be a positive plus for our town. I am pleased as there was a time this nearly didn’t happen as they (the district council) said we didn’t need one.”

Town councillor Roger Russell said he was happy that “a lot of disabled facilities have been included in this centre which is important”.

When council leader Mark Davison proposed that town councillors support the application, there was a unanimous vote of approval.

After the meeting, Mr Tree told the Bordon Herald: “I am delighted that our town councillors have voted in favour of the planning application to build a new six-lane swimming pool in Bordon. I am told that building work will start this year, with the view to opening the centre in the autumn of 2019. I will be keeping an eye on the progress as this marks the continuation of a long personal campaign going back to 2014. In July 2014, it was made public that East Hampshire District Council was considering building a new swimming pool outside the town, with a district-council director suggesting that residents in Whitehill and Bordon could travel to Alton to swim. I described this, at the time, as completely out of touch and unacceptable to Whitehill and Bordon residents.

“In September that year Whitehill Town Council agreed to my suggestion to push for a six-lane swimming pool in the town, saying nothing else would be acceptable.”

By the December, Mr Tree said, the district council had voted in favour of a six-lane pool for Whitehill and Bordon, “finally seeing sense in what I saw as an obvious requirement for a growing town supposed to be providing decent facilities”.

The new leisure centre would sit at the heart of the community in the new town centre. It would be operated by Everyone Active on behalf of East Hampshire District Council and replace Mill Chase Leisure Centre, in Bordon’s Mill Chase Road, which only has a four-lane pool but will remain open until the new pool is built.

The new leisure centre has been designed in accordance with Sport England guidelines to ensure it caters for the activity needs of both new and existing residents.

Its timber fronting has been designed to complement the town’s rural surroundings and green spaces, and it will be developed in line with Whitehill and Bordon’s environmental and sustainability objectives.

The six-lane, 25-metre swimming pool would allow more space for swimming clubs and casual swimmers, as well as swimming lessons. The changing facilities will provide access for disabled users.

The 100-station fitness suite would be more than three times the size of the gym at Mill Chase Leisure Centre and big enough to house the latest cardiovascular and resistance equipment as well as areas for stretching and free weights.

Two studios, featuring air conditioning and mirrored walls, would host a range of classes and activities for members and visitors.

There would also be a 30-station group-cycling studio with virtual and instructor-led classes.

The new sports centre would be developed in line with the environmental and sustainability objectives of the Whitehill and Bordon Masterplan. Designed to be eco friendly, the centre would have solar-photovoltaic panels, solar water pre heating, natural daylight, external solar shading, natural ventilation, upgraded fabric insulation and heat recovery and dehumidification systems.

Meanwhile, the Bordon Garrison Swimming Pool, at Prince Philip Park in Budds Lane, is understood to be temporarily closed for refurbishment but still operating. With a long history, it is held in great affection by several generations who used the Army run pool when it was the only one in the town. In 2015 it closed to the public, remaining only for Army use, due to a lack of funding but residents demanded they wanted the pool to stay open and in use after the Army moved out.

Funding was found and it reopened in January 2016, but is understood to be closed at the moment for refurbishment.