Councillors will be urged to recommend next week that that the former Hermitage Leisure Centre in Whitwick is demolished to make way for affordable housing.

That is despite the results of a recent consultation among residents in the area showing that hundreds would be against such a plan.

An extraordinary meeting of North West Leicestershire District Council's scrutiny committee will be held in Coalville next Wednesday.

It means the future of the leisure centre building will go before councillors again after the original meeting in June was deferred.

Then, the debate was halted with councillors strongly criticising the report put in front of them.

The intention was to put a recommendation to the council's Cabinet.

Now the building is back on the agenda - ahead of the Cabinet meeting later this month.

The former leisure centre building has been boarded up since February. Photos: Coalville Nub News

It was closed in February when the council's new £22.5million Whitwick & Coalville Leisure Centre was opened.

The building has been boarded up ever since at a cost to the council.

A recent consultation among local residents showed that over 630 people opposed using the land for residential use - compared to 337 who did back the option.

Local Community Group Coalville CAN has proposed redeveloping the building for community use.

But the council report says that it would cost around £2.5million to bring it in line with Health & Safety standards - and the final outlay would be less than the value of the building.

A number of choices have been put forward as to what the future of the building should be.

The report says there is only one realistic option available to the council - while accepting there could be 'resistance' from local residents.

It says: "There is only one option that is not blighted by legal or statutory issues.

"That is to demolish and clear the site and then retain for the delivery of Council services.

"Only one service has expressed an interest in the site, and this is to provide affordable housing units.

"There are no legal, planning or contractual reasons why this cannot occur.

"This option also has the ability to provide funding for the works to the Hermitage Recreation Ground."

It adds: "The paper sets out a series of options for the future of the Hermitage Leisure Centre asset each of which has financial implications.

"The recommended option (demolition) is expected to cost £300,000.

"Funding for the initial demolition of the Hermitage Leisure Centre buildings could be provided from the Coalville Regeneration budget provision.

"Demolition, clearance and ground remediation as described in this report would leave the Council with a plot of land that is tidy and presents low risk to users and the general community.

"Once cleared, the security, safety carbon footprint and cost concerns arising from holding a surplus-to -requirements building in deteriorating condition would be removed.

"A future use for the site will be required so that the asset is making a positive contribution towards delivery of council objectives.

"Whilst there is some resistance from the local community to residential use of the land upon which the leisure centre buildings are sited, allocating the site to Housing Services for use to provide New Council Housing would fit with the Council Delivery Plan and would also release funds to invest into improvements of the wider recreation grounds.

"Property Services have been made aware that the Council's Housing Services Department are seeking parcels of land upon which to develop new Council Housing.

"No other Council service departments have come forward with alternative use proposals for the HLC site.

"It is considered that the Housing Services Department will be able to develop a strong business case for the development of council housing on the site of the HLC buildings (once cleared).

"This would help deliver a priority objective of the Council's Delivery Plan in terms of housing need in the area.

The Whitwick & Coalville Leisure Centre replaced the Hermitage in February

"Any new proposals for the development of new Council housing on this site would developed to meet local need, adhere to the Council's design standards and consider how best it can address the Council's Zero Carbon ambitions."

A number of suggestions have been put forward for the future of the site - with Cllr Stuart Gillard admitting earlier this year he favours demolishing the current site and building retirement bungalows.

The report also contains a draft recommendation to Cabinet.

It reads: "It is proposed that the following recommendations be made to Cabinet and that Community Scrutiny Committee be asked to provide their observations and comments on these.

"A report will be taken to Cabinet on 20 September 2022.

"The report will be asking Cabinet to make a decision on the future of the Hermitage Leisure Centre building and also to transfer the HLC land/footprint to the Housing Revenue Account.

"The Cabinet report will be based on this report and will include the comments from this Committee."