Following a period of public consultation, the Wokingham Town Centre Regeneration Team submitted a planning
application for the redevelopment of the Carnival Pool site. The application was hybrid, in that it sought full
planning permission for a new multi-storey car park, including a relocated bowling alley and laser play facility,
and outline permission (with a detailed plan to follow in due course) for a new leisure complex and residential
apartments.
There were separate discussions with the public about the proposal to relocate the Library to this site.
Notwithstanding the concerns expressed by the Society and others, the plans for what is called Carnival Phase 2,
including a new library, were approved in November 2017. The design for the apartments on the west side of the site
was, however, withdrawn and new plans were submitted in January 2020. The response of the Society’s Executive
Committee can be seen here.
Now that the new Bulmershe Leisure Centre Is complete and opening for use as and when Covid rules allow, and there
is thus a sports facility in the area, demolition has been completed on the Carnival Pool site and rebuilding has
commenced.
In July 2020 the Regeneration Team submitted a revised application for the leisure centre and new library, giving
the following reasons: “The amendments have been progressed in direct response to the Council’s declared Climate
Emergency with a view to significantly increasing the energy efficiency of the building and thus reducing carbon
emissions. The footprint of the complex will reduce slightly from what was previously approved, but through
rationalizing the internal layouts and introducing first floors into what were previously shown as double height
spaces the energy efficiency of the building would be considerably improved without compromising the ‘leisure
centre offer’ at the site. The pools, sports hall, gyms and studio spaces etc. remain as big (or bigger) as was
previously shown and the footprint of the library remains pretty much the same (still 1,000 sqm)”. The Wokingham
Society’s Executive Committee largely supported these proposals, which were approved in October 2020.
The Borough Council announced in July 2021 that it was planned to incorporate a 450-seat theatre in the large
sports hall/leisure area and that some rooms intended for other uses would now be converted to a green room
The leisure centre and library have now been completed and they opened in the Summer of 2022, the whole complex
being named ‘Carnival Hub’.