Farnborough leisure centre

Update – February 2025

We have been given permission from the government to use the £20 million of Levelling Up grant from the previous leisure and cultural hub scheme to fund a new leisure centre.  

Our cabinet on Tuesday 11 February will be asked to agree to a revised approach to delivering the new centre, and to give the go-ahead to move on to the detailed design stage. 

Location and facilities

The plans are for: 

• 25-metre swimming pool 
• Learner pool 
• Gym, with more than 100 fitness stations 
• Three exercise studios 
• Wellness hub with power-assisted equipment, to help people who are less mobile, to exercise
• Toddler and adventure play area 
• Café 

The new leisure centre is planned to be built on the current Queensmead car park.

Parking

With the Queensmead car park removed for the new leisure centre, the parking will be on the neighbouring Pinehurst car park site.  

The Meads multi-storey car park would be the main town centre shopping car park. 

Old leisure centre site

As part of our plans, the old leisure centre site will be handed over for new homes as part of the wider long-term development of the civic quarter, which would include the planned new public park area. The skate park will remain where it is for the moment. 

Next steps

If our cabinet agrees our new approach, the next step will be for us to draw up detailed designs for the new building. 

We would then plan to submit a new planning application later this year. Building work would then start in spring 2026, with a scheduled opening of autumn 2027.

Keep me informed about the leisure centre

If you would like to be kept informed about our proposals and how you can get involved, please let us know.

Closure of the old leisure centre

The old Farnborough leisure centre was closed because of the pandemic.

In 2021, when lockdown ended, the cost of reopening the centre, along with increased payments to our contractor, came to more than £1 million. This meant we could not afford to reopen the centre without cutting other services.

Instead, we decided to press ahead with clearing the site in preparation for the new centre, while at the same time working with our partners and other organisations on what it should include, and making sure there was a sound business case for it.

Our original plan was to extend the scope of the centre to become a leisure and cultural hub and we successfully bid for £20 million from the government towards the scheme. This did not cover the full or increased costs though. 

We also secured outline planning consent for the wider civic quarter site, of which the new centre will be a key part.

Alternative local leisure facilities

You will find details about alternative local leisure facilities and about our Aldershot Pools and Fitness Centre on our website. You will also find more local options on the Farnham Leisure Centre and Places Leisure Camberley websites.