Rushmoor Borough Council has been given the green light by the government to move forward with plans to build a new leisure centre in the heart of Farnborough town centre.
The new centre is set to include a 25-metre swimming pool and learner pool, along with a gym offering more than 100 fitness stations. There would also be three fitness studios and a specially designed ‘wellness hub’ with power-assisted equipment to support people, who are less mobile or active, to take part in low-impact exercise.
A toddler and adventure play area, along with a café, would provide family and social space for local people to enjoy.
The council had previously drawn up plans for a more comprehensive leisure and cultural hub but revisited these plans last year when it became clear that because of the council’s financial position and increased costs, it was no longer affordable.
For many months it was unclear if it would be able to use the £20 million of Levelling Up grant allocated to the previous scheme to fund a new leisure centre. However, following representations led by Alex Baker, Aldershot and Farnborough’s Member of Parliament, ministers have now given permission for the remaining funds to be used towards delivering the leisure centre. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also reviewed the plans and confirmed it is content for the council to progress with drawing up detailed designs for the new building.
Councillor Gareth Williams, Leader of Rushmoor Council, said: “This is a major step forward to delivering the new leisure centre our residents deserve.
“My administration inherited plans for a leisure and cultural hub that weren’t fully funded and simply were not financially viable. That’s why we have taken some time to study leisure schemes elsewhere, consider the best location for a new development and propose a mix of facilities that we believe will meet the needs of residents, while being both commercial for the operator and affordable for the council.
“I’m very grateful to Alex Baker for raising this matter in the House of Commons and helping to secure approval from the government for our new leisure centre. We will now press ahead with the detailed designs so it can be delivered as swiftly as possible.”
At its meeting next Tuesday (11), the Cabinet will be asked to agree a revised approach to delivering the leisure centre and for the council to progress to the design stage. The Cabinet will be told that at the conclusion of this stage, there will need to be a detailed and viable business case developed, tested and approved before proceeding further.
If the Cabinet agrees this approach, the council will start to draw up detailed designs for the new centre, with a view to submitting a new planning application later this year. Building work would then start in spring 2026, with a scheduled opening of autumn 2027.
To make it more accessible and to give it greater prominence, the leisure centre would be built on the current Queensmead surface car park, closer to public transport, and with parking provided on the neighbouring Pinehurst car park site. The Kingsmead multi-storey would be the main town centre shopping car park.
The existing leisure centre site would then 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.
Meanwhile, the current library would stay where it is, and the council is also looking at plans to provide community space within the wider town centre redevelopment, possibly as part of the vacant plot to the north of Queensmead. The new town square space, part of a wider town centre project, will also be finished this summer, offering extra space for events and cultural activities.
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