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Surfs up at Holme Pierrepont

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Nottinghamshire County Council has given the green light to an ambitious plan which will see Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre become not just a world class training facility for the sporting elite, but also a base for supporting and developing sporting talent and a top class sports and leisure development for the general public.

The new arrangements could see an investment of around £10m into the new site – with funding from both the County Council and Sport England. The Council will also take over the management, operation and redevelopment of the site.

Possible new developments include:

• ‘flow riders’ - indoor surfing waves for budding surfers and for those who just want to experience the “thrill” of surfing  – the first of their kind anywhere in the country.
• creating a new heart to the site – an ‘activity hub’ which would include facilities for water skiing, climbing, cycling, canoeing and sailing, plus a new cafeteria and changing rooms.
• a beautiful country park area for walking and cycling.
• introducing an inflatable pontoon system - allowing the lake to be used for a wide range of activities from regattas to training. Allowing at least 1500 metres of the lake for rowing on a regular basis and around 700 metres ‘pay and play’ area for canoeing, sailing, windsurfing and general boating activities.
• retaining the Canoe Slalom course for elite and recreational use.
• developing a static caravan site and campsite to attract visitors to stay for longer, making use of its unique location which will contribute to the local economy as a whole – it will be the closest campsite to Nottingham city centre.
• refurbishment of the existing conference facilities and accommodation to a high standard.

Subject to planning, work will start straight away with the aim of completing all work by 2012.  Future proposals for phase two include extending the facility to include a marina, hotels and housing. There is also the possibility of site being linked to the Grantham canal and Colwick Country Park in years to come.

Councillor Chris Baron of Nottinghamshire County Council, said:

“The Council is keen to ensure that Holme Pierrepont remains open and more than that – it is a world class training and leisure facility – a destination in its own right.  We're pleased to have the support of Sport England on this exciting project.

“We consulted with people a couple of years ago. It was clear that extreme sport that was available to all was a priority and the idea of a marina was very popular.

“We have a fantastic opportunity here, but in order for the figures to stack up we need to promote the wider use of the centre. It’s important that elite sports people have a place to train, but we need to strike a balance and attract a broader range of people to make use of the site, which is why developing the conference and event facilities, the campsite and the more fun leisure activities.

“We want to involve local people and sports clubs that use the centre in our planning for the future of the site.  We’re developing a comprehensive consultation plan which will ensure that everybody who wants to be involved has the opportunity, we’ll be rolling this out later in the year.”

Charles Johnston, Sport England Director of Property said:

"Sport England recognises the importance of Holme Pierrepont to local and national sport and is excited to be working with Nottinghamshire County Council to ensure its long term future.

"We want to see our joint investment in the centre deliver not just world class training facilities for our top athletes but also a vibrant centre for the local community to take part in and enjoy watersports".

Olympic gold medallist Dr Tim Brabants said:

I'm absolutely delighted that the future of the centre is secured.  I'm pleased to hear that the long term plan is focused not only on providing world class facilities for elite sports people, but will also encourage more community use.  With the level of accessibility and opportunities increased for all, the centre can only go from strength to strength and achieve more success for Nottinghamshire.”

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