A £2.5m partnership project between The Cheltenham Trust, Cheltenham Borough Council, Sport England and Gloucestershire County Council created a sport, fitness and play destination with a real focus on accessibility.
The project includes an extension to the gym with new equipment including strength and CV kit. A new functional training area includes a Queenax™ functional training unit, Assault AirRunner and an Assault AirBike Elite from Precor, along with Origin’s specialist flooring finished with customised markings.
The development has seen a reallocation of space across two floors of the 3,097 square foot building. Two courts in the sports hall were retained and the rest of the space – equivalent to 3 courts, has been remodelled to create a vibrant XHeight Adventure Climbing facility and soft play zone like nothing else available locally. The community was lacking a facility where families could enjoy time together and this development has successfully addressed this issue.
Two of the centre’s five squash courts have been converted into two new exercise studios.
Two former large changing rooms have been converted into a large 88sqm aquatics play area for children and families. The first of its kind in Cheltenham, the space features a host of interactive water play facilities including jets, cascades and water curtains, hand wheels and fill ‘n’ spill buckets, and a slide and interactive wall panels, all supplied by Hippo Leisure.
The reception area has been remodelled to improve the customer experience with a new welcoming reception desk, new access control, fast track kiosks for members and retail space.
The swimming pool changing rooms now offer additional disability changing, including a Changing Places facility.
A new Pool Pod Hoist ensures access to the swimming pool for those with disabilities.
Elsewhere, the gym changing rooms have been upgraded with new showers, lockers and disabled facilities.
The introduction of inclusive equipment increases the centre’s capacity to meet the needs of health-related activities such as GP referral and physiotherapy programmes.
Client: Cheltenham Borough Council
Partners: Hippo Leisure, Origin, UK Leisure Framework (managed by Denbighshire Leisure Ltd)
Project Value: £2.5m
Opened: July 2020
