Planning permission for a new leisure centre in Farnborough town centre has been approved, subject to legal agreement, paving the way for work to start on site in early summer.
The new centre will offer a 25-metre swimming pool and learner pool with moveable floor, a gym with more than 100 fitness stations and specialist power-assisted exercise equipment for people who are less mobile, studio space, a spin studio, soft play area and a café.
It will be built in the heart of the town centre on the Queensmead car park, with outside features including a new play area, landscaping, bicycle and mobility parking, and a replacement up-to-date car park on the former Pinehurst car park site.
Planning consent was agreed by Rushmoor Borough Council’s Development Management Committee on Wednesday March 11, with final authority to confirm permission delegated to the Chairman and Executive Head of Property and Growth once legal agreements with Hampshire County Council are confirmed.
The decision is the final go-ahead needed for development work to start on the centre towards the end of June and completion and fit-out scheduled for late 2027.
It follows approval by the council’s Cabinet to appoint a development partner to lead on the construction of the new centre and car park, and a leisure contractor, Everyone Active, to run both the new facility and, from 1 April, the council’s existing leisure facilities.
This early decision means that Everyone Active will be able to bring its expertise and involvement to the final designs and fit-out of the new centre from the start. As part of its successful tender, the company will also invest to introduce a new splash pad at the Lido site to increase the overall appeal of the facilities and attract more customers. It is proposed that the new splash pad, likely to be built in 2029, will be included in the price of the Lido entry. There will also be a new health and wellbeing development programme to help residents improve their overall fitness.
Councillor Sophie Porter, Rushmoor Borough Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Healthy Communities and Active Lives, said: “We know how much residents want a new leisure centre and we have been firm in our commitment to delivering one that would provide the best mix of facilities while being affordable and therefore achievable.
“Planning permission is the final hurdle we needed before we can press ahead, and we are absolutely thrilled that the Development Management Committee has approved the proposal. We are looking forward to seeing the new leisure centre taking pride of place in the town centre, offering an accessible and contemporary facility for our residents to use and enjoy.”
The first public stage of the work will be the closure and hoarding of the Queensmead car park in late June. During the development work, the main town centre car park will be The Meads multi-storey car park.
Residents will be able to follow the progress of development on our leisure centre web page.
Contact us