Planning Permission Granted for new King Alfred Leisure Centre
Plans for a new King Alfred Leisure Centre have taken a major step forward after planning permission was officially granted for the redevelopment of the site.
We are delighted to be delivering this exciting project for Brighton and Hove City Council, which was procured through the UK Leisure Framework, owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure Ltd (DLL), working with Willmott Dixon, GT3 Architects, Hadron Consulting and the wider project team.
The approved scheme will deliver a modern, accessible and sustainable new leisure centre that will replace the ageing existing building and provide improved sports, leisure and wellbeing facilities for residents of all ages and abilities.
Facilities include an eight-lane swimming pool, teaching pool, leisure water area, larger fitness suite, sports hall, exercise studios, soft play facilities, community space and café with sea views.
Tom Fairey, Development Director at Alliance Leisure, said:
We are delighted to have achieved this significant milestone for the hugely important new King Alfred project. We are looking forward to continuing at pace through the final stage of pre-construction and working with our expert partners to deliver this exciting new facility that meets the needs of the community for many years to come.
The new building will be constructed on part of the current site, allowing the existing King Alfred Leisure Centre to remain open while construction takes place. Once the new facility is complete and operational, the current building will be demolished.
The new leisure centre is a key part of the council’s wider Sports Facilities Investment Plan for the whole city.
Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet member for Sports, Recreation and Libraries, said:
With planning permission now secured, we can move forward and finally deliver the modern, accessible leisure centre our city deserves.
After decades of waiting and a series of plans that never made it this far, residents will soon see real progress on a new King Alfred Leisure Centre.
We’re never going to find a scheme that suits everyone, but we’ve listened to resident feedback throughout the process and made changes to the design, including the building’s appearance, in response to comments from residents and planning consultees.
We’ve now got a scheme that can be delivered while keeping the current centre open so there’s no loss to facilities, helping people of all ages stay active now for years to come. This is a major investment in Brighton & Hove’s future.
Proposals for the New Leisure Centre
The plans include:
- a much larger fitness suite with 150 stations, compared to around 30 stations in the current facility
- a larger main pool (8 lanes compared to 6) with walk-in steps and Pool Pod
- a larger (17m), more versatile teaching pool with Pool Pod and a movable floor giving the operator flexibility to offer a range of activities including shallow water sessions and Varioplay
- a dedicated leisure water area incorporating features such as interactive play, an enclosed flume and jets/fountains
- a dedicated spin cycling studio along with two group exercise studios
- a 6-court sports hall, with a flexible layout for activities such as roller sports, inflatables, kids’ birthday parties, 5-a-side football, 3×3 basketball and volleyball
- a multi-use community room
- a much larger cafe with sea views
- an interactive soft play area over 4 levels
- an underground car park with 122 spaces including blue badge spaces and direct access into the building
- improved accessibility throughout the building including clear wayfinding, a centrally located Changing Places facility, and blue badge parking beside the lift
The project will now move into the final stages of pre-construction work, and we look forward to sharing further updates when they arise. The new leisure centre is expected to open in 2028.
Our Engagement team have been working closely with the council to create and update a project microsite which can be found here