Gedling council promises £1.1m pool and theatre revamp
A theatre and leisure centre in Nottinghamshire which faced demolition are to be given a £1.1m facelift.
Bonington Theatre and Arnold Leisure Centre in Arnold are being refurbished by Gedling Borough Council.
The council's previous Conservative administration had planned to demolish the two facilities.
The current Labour-run council has voted to upgrade the leisure centre's swimming pool and add new seating and lighting at the theatre.
'Green' car park
A total of £400,000 will be spent at the swimming pool and a bid for a further £200,000 has been made to Sport England.
New seating and lighting at the Bonington Theatre will cost £250,000 with the remaining money spent on turning a former pub site into a new car park.
Council leader John Clarke said his party had promised to keep the theatre open during local council elections in May 2011.
The Conservative council had planned to use government funding to regenerate Arnold, a northern suburb of Nottingham, by closing the leisure centre and redeveloping the town centre.
The leisure centre would have been demolished and rebuilt in another location.
The former Druid's Tavern pub opposite the leisure centre will be turned into a 100-space green shoppers' car park with a solar-powered ticket machine.
The work is expected to be completed by early 2014.