New Tadworth Leisure & Community Centre opens

The new state-of-the-art facility features a 25 metre, six-lane swimming pool and a teaching pool, fitness gym with 60 exercise stations, a four-court multi-use sports hall, an exercise and dance studio, four five-a-side football pitches, space for community activities, a café, a crèche and wet and dry changing rooms.

The centre in Preston Manor Road took just over a year to build, starting in July 2014 and finishing in September 2015. It replaces the ageing Banstead Leisure Centre, which opened in the 1973.

Fantastic facilities for all ages

Cllr Ros Mill, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council's Executive Member for Leisure and Wellbeing, said: "I will be very pleased to see our new Tadworth Leisure and Community Centre open its doors to the local community for the first time.

"The centre looks amazing and provides fantastic facilities to help people of all ages and abilities keep healthy and active. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback already from residents and sports clubs who are keen to be able to get in and use it, and I hope they will be as pleased with their new leisure centre as we are."

Improving sport and leisure opportunities

Improvements have also been made to neighbouring Preston Park, including a bigger and better children's playground, a new multi-use games area and landscaping.

Cllr Natalie Bramhall, Executive Member for Property and Regeneration for the Borough Council, said:  "The Council's investment in the development of the new Tadworth Leisure and Community Centre and Preston Park will greatly improve sport and leisure opportunities for local people.

"Our investment, with contributions from Surrey County Council and Sport England, has resulted in a centre that will contribute to the health and wellbeing of our residents and to the local economy. Income from the sale of the Banstead Leisure Centre site has helped to fund the new centre and the site will provide for much needed new homes."

The development is a partnership between Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Surrey County Council as part of the multi-million pound Preston regeneration. The adjoining new Phoenix Youth Centre will open later in October, replacing their old premises.

Surrey County Council's Cabinet Member for Business Services and Resident Experience Denise Le Gal said: “Improving Surrey as a place to live and work is what we're all about so it's fantastic that this amazing community facility is opening as part of a wider scheme to transform the area by creating opportunities for young people, helping families thrive and encouraging economic growth.”

Regional standard basketball and trampolining facilities

Sport England contributed £500,000 of National Lottery funding towards the centre from its Iconic Facilities fund, enabling us to provide regional standard basketball and trampolining facilities.

Tadworth Leisure and Community Centre will be run by GLL, the Borough Council's leisure management partner. David Hughes, Reigate and Banstead Partnership Manager said: "Our mission as a non-profit charitable social enterprise is to get more people active and to ensure leisure services are accessible and affordable to all of the community. We are very proud to have the opportunity to manage such an outstanding new leisure centre and are looking forward to welcoming local residents through the doors and showcasing the state-of-the-art facilities."

Preston Community Day - 17 October

To celebrate the centre's completion, along with improvements to neighbouring Preston Park, a Community Day has been organised for Saturday 17 October.

The Mayor of Reigate & Banstead, Cllr Mrs Joan Spiers will officially open the centre with Team GB athlete Conrad Williams at 1pm. Between 12 noon and 4pm a whole host of free sports taster sessions will be on offer, along with football coaching on the new five-a-side pitches, activities for children, face painting and more. Residents can also find out what’s on offer in their community and about up-coming community improvements, including information about new homes.

Banstead Leisure Centre will close once the new centre is fully operational. Existing memberships will be transferred to the new centre by GLL. The sale of the site to Croudace Homes will be completed later this month, with demolition of the old centre and house building set to start soon after.

To find out more about the facilities and activities on offer visit the Tadworth Leisure & Community Centre page on Better's website.

For details about Preston Community Day visit the Preston regeneration page.