£350,000 looks set to be spent on repairing the leaking roof at St Nicholas Leisure Park Centre in Warwick.

Warwick District Council's (WDC) cabinet will next week discuss plans to renovate the roof with its "poor condition" holding back plans to install solar panels on the roof of the building.

The local authority already has planning permission to install the panels, but a council report said they cannot be installed until the roof is fixed.

"Work to prepare for the installation of solar panels at St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre has identified the need to replace the centre's roof," it said. 

"A potential grant opportunity from Sport England means that this decision needs to be brought forward, and this report considers the options for that, and seeks approval to undertake the required work."

Having initially been refused funding from Sport England for the panels, WDC has recently been offered £292,000 for the project.

While this is yet to be signed off, the council is expecting time restrictions to be put in place on the funding, so wants to replace the roof as soon as possible.

The report continued: "In preparation to install solar, significant work has been undertaken to assess the state of the centre's roofs. 

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"The pool roof is more than 40 years old having been constructed in 1983 and the sports hall section is original too, from 1993. 

"The assessments have identified the need for significant repairs. 

"The poor condition of the centre's roofs has been known for some time, and in sections of the pool roof and around the sports hall, leaks are evident."

While repairs to the roof are the responsibility of operator Everyone Active, the contract in place does "not cover the scope of the works now identified".

As such, Everyone Active is expected to contribute around £40,000, with WDC having received quotes of £300,000 to £350,000.

Money would come from the council's Planned Preventative Maintenance Budget.

"Preparation works have identified that putting solar panels on the current roof would pose a risk as it could lead to additional damage to the already failing materials," the report added. 

"In addition, undertaking replacement and repairs post installation would lead to additional costs - as any panels would need to be removed for work to take place, followed by reinstatement."

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Sport England has already given WDC a £234,000 grant for solar panels at Newbold Comyn which were installed in spring 2025.

A decision will be made at WDC's cabinet meeting on Wednesday 9 July.

See the full council report here.