Peterlee Leisure Centre
Client: Durham County Council
Partners: ISG, GT3 Architects, Axiom, Play Revolution, Hutchi, Bowling Vision, OBL, UK Leisure Framework (managed by Denbighshire Leisure)
About the Project
Peterlee Leisure Centre was re-opened in October 2023 following a £4.5m redevelopment to widen the appeal of the venue. After consultation with residents, a range of exciting new facilities were introduced including an eight-lane bowling alley and a bar, which now occupies half of the original sports hall. Four of the bowling lanes feature an immersive, interactive scoring experience from Bowling Vision which uses augmented reality, light and sound to give guests fast, fun and engaging games.
Other new facilities include a soft play adventure area for children and the centre’s first café serving healthy food and drink options. Improvements have also been made to the centre’s fitness offer. The gym has been relocated to a larger space and now features Technogym equipment and technology, while the introduction of a third fitness studio allows the centre to provide dedicated cycling and mind-body spaces as well as virtual exercise classes. A new wellbeing suite means the centre can also expand the range of health services it offers including rehabilitation and smoking cessation sessions.
A range of energy efficiency measures have been installed across the site after the council secured funding from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS). These include high efficiency LED lighting throughout, water saving devices and solar panels to produce electricity as well as replacing gas boilers with air source heat pumps. These measures are expected to reduce carbon dioxide usage by 300 tonnes a year.
