THE advantage of reinventing the National Water Sports Centre as a country park is that a much wider cross-section of people will use the 270-acre site.
Under Sport England, the centre at Holme Pierrepont was an important asset for Notts – delivering high-level competition on the 2,000m regatta lake and adjoining white-water course.
However, it attracted only a limited number of people within a collection of minority sports, and much of the surrounding land was under-utilised.
After a £6.7m revamp, the newly-named Holme Pierrepont Country Park offers something more.
It will still be a home for water sports enthusiasts, from beginners to the international elite. But now it will also welcome anyone and everyone who wants a great day out in the fresh air.
The new managing trust is offering adventure activities including a sky-walk, Segway hire and a laser-tagging experience. There will continue to be a welcome for joggers and cyclists who already exercise in the park.
And perhaps one day it will be possible to have a pedestrian and bike bridge over the Trent, linking this new leisure facility to Colwick Country Park.
It is a result for Notts as a whole and especially for the eastern fringes of Greater Nottingham. We hope the site gets the visitors it deserves.