Opening date revealed for £18.6m new Spen Valley Leisure Centre

The new centre, based in Liversedge, is the culmination of several years’ planning and building, in a joint project between Kirklees Council and Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL).

It was designed to transform the exercise and leisure offering in North Kirklees, replacing outdated facilities to better meet the modern health and well-being needs of local residents. The site was previously home to Spenborough Swimming Pool and “Peak Physique” fitness suite.

The new Spen Valley Leisure Centre has been designed with a broad fitness and leisure offering in mind. It includes two substantial swimming pools, including a 25m pool with a viewing gallery, but also features a state-of-the-art fitness suite, fitness studios and a blackout cycle studio. There will be a wide range of classes and fitness sessions available, making use of these versatile facilities.

Plans for the leisure centre were first approved in 2018, after which much work was done to engage with local residents and ensure the new centre would provide the best possible offering.

By the end of 2019 the old Spenborough Pool was demolished, making way for building work to commence with contractor Kier, who were appointed in spring 2020.

Construction work began just before the first lockdown of the pandemic, which presented many unexpected challenges for the build and resulted in some delays.

Throughout the build, Kirklees Council and partners prioritised employing local companies wherever possible, supporting the local economy.

Councillor Shabir Pandor, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “Spen Valley Leisure Centre has truly transformed our health and well-being offering in this part of North Kirklees.

"We know its opening has been eagerly awaited by local residents, and we’re very excited to see all these amazing new spaces and facilities in use.

“We are immensely proud of the finished centre, particularly in light of challenges brought about during the pandemic.

"Our teams, partners and contractors have worked very hard to deliver this for the public, despite encountering many unexpected hurdles.

"Seeing the end result, all the hard work is more than worthwhile – and we can’t wait to open the new centres doors to the public.

“This new centre is set to completely transform our health and leisure offer for all ages. We’re committed to making improvements for the health and well-being of all our Kirklees residents and investing in our community.”

Dawn Stephenson, chair of the KAL board of trustees, said: “Spen Valley Leisure Centre is a fantastic new facility for local people, providing some great opportunities to improve your health and well-being.

“KAL are delighted to operate the new leisure centre on behalf of Kirklees Council and look forward to welcoming customers to come and make use of the site over the years to come.”

Although Spen Valley Leisure Centre opens to the general public on February 28, there are opportunities for local residents to get a first look at the inside of the centre sooner.

KAL currently has bookable tours available to new customers - numbers are limited. Tours can be booked by calling the KAL customer service team on 01484 766131 and choosing option 5.

The centre will also open exclusively for school swimming lessons slightly earlier on Monday. February 14, giving local schoolchildren the first opportunity to make use of the brand-new pool.

The schools and children benefitting from these very first sessions have been among the key engagement groups involved in the build from the beginning of the project. Normal swimming lessons will also start on the slightly earlier date of Saturday, February 26.

For those wishing to make use of the new Spen Valley Leisure Centre once it has officially opened later this month, KAL is currently offering a pre-opening offer.

For £5 you get to use the centre from the opening day and your first direct debit payment will not be taken until April 1, 2022. This offer closes at midnight the day before the centre opens.

To join or find out more, visit www.spenvalleyleisurecentre.com