Droitwich Spa Leisure Centre Opens Following £15m Community Investment
A major £15 million investment in the health and wellbeing of the Droitwich Spa community has reached a significant milestone, with the transformation of Droitwich Spa Leisure Centre now complete and residents enjoying its new and improved facilities.
Delivered by Alliance Leisure on behalf of Wychavon District Council, the extensive redevelopment has transformed the much-loved community facility, creating more opportunities for local people of all ages and abilities to be active, acquire life skills, socialise and access services that support their health and wellbeing.
The investment includes a dedicated learner pool, new reception and café areas, refurbished wet and dry changing facilities, a transformed gym and improvements across the wider centre. Together, these changes create a more welcoming, accessible and flexible environment designed to support a broader range of activities and community needs.
The project was procured and delivered through the UK Leisure Framework, owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure Ltd (DLL), with Alliance Leisure leading a specialist project team including main contractor Speller Metcalfe, architect and design specialist Watson Batty and pool construction specialist Buckingham Pools.
Julia Goddard, Regional Director at Alliance Leisure, says:
This is a significant investment in the future of Droitwich Spa and, importantly, an investment in the people who live here.
This project is a fantastic example of how a leisure centre can deliver so much more than simply a space to exercise. It can be a place where people learn to swim, build confidence, improve their health, meet others and develop a sense of belonging in their community.
By increasing capacity, improving the quality of the environment and creating greater choice around how people can be active, this project has the potential to make a meaningful difference to participation, health and wellbeing across all segments of the community. We’re incredibly proud to have worked alongside Wychavon District Council and our delivery partners to bring this vision to life.
Photo credit: Speller Metcalfe
A major addition is the new learner pool, which creates increased capacity for swimming lessons without impacting the main pool programme. This opens the door to more children and adults learning an essential life skill, while creating greater flexibility to support a variety of water-based needs, including rehabilitation, recovery and sessions for people with sensory needs.
The wider redevelopment has modernised the gym, including the installation of data-led EGYM equipment to support wet and dry changing areas, studios, squash courts and main pool environment, alongside the new café and reception. Energy efficiency has also been a key consideration, with measures including air source heat pumps and solar panels supporting Wychavon District Council’s ambitions for a more sustainable leisure estate.
The impact of the investment extends beyond the four walls of the leisure centre. By creating a facility with greater capacity, more choice and a more inclusive environment, the redevelopment provides an important platform for tackling some of the wider challenges facing communities – from physical inactivity and poor health to social isolation and inequalities in access to opportunities.
It forms part of Wychavon District Council’s wider multi-million-pound investment in leisure, health and wellbeing across Droitwich Spa. Alongside the leisure centre transformation, separate investment has been made in additional car parking anda new pump track and skate park has also been built next to the centre.
Mark Hudgeon, Regional Director at Speller Metcalfe, says:
It has been fantastic to see the transformation of Droitwich Spa Leisure Centre take shape and, most importantly, to see the finished facility now being used by the community.
Working closely with Alliance Leisure, Wychavon District Council and the wider project team, we have delivered a modern, sustainable facility that responds directly to the needs of today’s community while creating a strong foundation for the future.
We’re proud to have played our part in delivering a project that will have such a positive and lasting impact locally.
Cllr Richard Morris, Leader of Wychavon District Council, adds:
In less than 12 months Alliance Leisure has worked with a team of incredible design and development experts to transform our collective vision into a reality. It’s truly satisfying to see so many of our community enjoying the new facilities, including many people who have never previously visited. The true value of our investment will not be fully known for some time but the initial enthusiasm from the community is extremely positive. Working with Alliance Leisure we have built a facility not just for now but for many future generations to enjoy.
With the internal works now complete, the centre is fully operational and residents are already making use of the transformed facilities. Exterior works, including landscaping, are continuing, with a formal public opening event expected to take place in early 2027.