Shrewsbury is developing its Sports Village with plans to transform the existing site by adding new swimming pools and fitness facilities to create a modern competition center.

The development includes a new 25m, eight-lane swimming pool, a smaller teaching pool, a 130-station fitness suite, and upgraded studios and soft play areas. The project, which has a projected cost of approximately £28 million, aims to make the facilities more accessible, sustainable, and capable of hosting county-level competitions.  

Possible Lesson Activities:

• Learning Objectives:

  • Use fieldwork data and maps to propose improvements and reason choices for a development within the proximity of the school.

  • Consider "possible," "probable," and "preferred" futures for familiar spaces

• How to Deliver:

  • Introduce the new leisure facility as a future development

  • Students conduct fieldwork—maps, surveys, photos—of its current site or surroundings

  • Facilitate a structured enquiry where pupils:

    • Analyse needs (accessibility, sustainability, community use)

    • Develop proposals

    • Present preferred options with supporting evidence

This aligns perfectly with introducing futures thinking and understanding local impact.

•Why is this place like it is?

•How is this place connected to other places?

•How is this place changing?

•What does it feel like to be in this place?

Michael Storm