IN Brief:
- North Warwickshire has moved a roughly £28m leisure replacement scheme in Atherstone into delivery.
- The project combines demolition, rebuild, upgraded accessibility, and low-energy design on the existing Memorial Hall site.
- Construction is expected to run for about two years, with the new centre due to open in spring 2028.
North Warwickshire Borough Council has appointed Speller Metcalfe as principal contractor for the replacement of the Memorial Hall leisure complex in Atherstone, moving one of the borough’s largest recent civic building projects into its construction phase. The contractor is due to take possession of the existing leisure centre and car park site at the end of April, with the first phase covering hoarding installation and demolition preparation. The appointment follows the submission of a planning application for the new facility at the end of February.
The redevelopment will replace the current building on the same site with a larger, more modern centre built around wet and dry leisure uses. The preferred design includes a four-lane main pool, a learner pool, a 35 sq m splash pad, a 100-station gym, class exercise space, a spin studio, a toning studio, a community room, a two-storey adventure play area, a changing places facility, a café, and reception space. The new building is also intended to strengthen public access from Long Street and provide a better connection into the town centre setting.
Energy and accessibility are central to the specification. The council has described the scheme as energy efficient, and project FAQs state that around 350 sq m of solar panels are planned over the community and fitness spaces. The design team has also been working with heritage and conservation officers on the building’s appearance and materials, reflecting the sensitivity of inserting a new civic building into Atherstone’s historic core.
The programme will require a full closure of the existing site. Atherstone Leisure Complex, Memorial Hall, and the associated car park are due to close on Sunday 12 April, with the whole site expected to remain shut for the duration of the build, which the council has put at around two years. In the interim, customers will be redirected to other borough facilities including Coleshill Leisure Centre and Polesworth Fitness Hub, while evening and weekend classes are due to move to The Queen Elizabeth Academy. A dedicated bus service to swimming pools in neighbouring boroughs is also planned.
Temporary on-site replacement provision has been ruled out after the council assessed a series of options, including a pop-up pool and gym, and concluded that the cost was not value for money. That decision means the new centre’s delivery timetable now becomes the critical path for restoring aquatic and indoor leisure provision in the town. The council has said the new building is scheduled to open in spring 2028, and project updates are being published through the project FAQs.
