Goodbye to former leisure landmark

Demolition work has started at Waves Water Fun Centre

The swimming pool and leisure centre on Nab Lane, Blackburn, which was opened by Princess Anne in 1986, will be demolished and work is set to be completed by July this year.

The site will then be cleared and will create a new area for the ongoing redevelopment and regeneration in the town centre. Blackburn with Darwen Council will also be looking at different options for temporary uses for the site.

Some traffic management will be in place on Nab Lane during the demolition. The pedestrianized area at the front of the centre and Feilden Street to the rear can be accessed as usual.

Blackburn Sport and Leisure Centre opened in March 2015 to replace Waves, and offers more modern facilities and is much more efficient to run.

As well as a six lane swimming pool, training pool and flumes, it has a larger fitness suite, a dance and aerobics studio, sauna and steam room and eight games courts.

Contactors Thompsons of Prudhoe Group are carrying out the demolition and clearing of the site.

Councillor Phil Riley, Executive Member for Regeneration, said:

The Waves building is not really in a state to be used for a different purpose so the most sensible option is demolition and clearing the land. This will be a key future development site to add to our redevelopment and regeneration of Blackburn town centre and the borough.

We are determined to keep developments going forward to give residents and visitors a great borough with fantastic facilities and make the town a great place to live, work and visit.”

Councillor Andy Kay, Executive Member for Resources, said:

The old Waves building was really expensive to run and it wasn’t financially viable to keep it open for a different use. The new sports and leisure centre costs around half as much and is massively more energy efficient.

This is the best course of action and the best value for money option and will open up the site for new investment and development.”