About the new Leighton Leisure and Community Centre
Construction of the new leisure and community centre commenced in October 2024 and is being delivered by Willmott Dixon.
We are constructing the new leisure centre with £33.9 million of funding from our capital budget and S106 contributions. The new leisure centre will replace the existing Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre.
The new site is to the north of Clipstone Brook, served by Briggington Way, east of Leighton Buzzard. This site is large enough to accommodate significantly improved sports and community facilities, and increased capacity and swimming options for all age groups.
Facilities
Aquatic facilities include:
- an eight-lane, 25-metre community swimming pool complete with 130 spectator seats
- a 17 metre by 10-metre learner pool with a movable floor to adjust depth for swimming lessons
- a separate, shallow pool, called ‘confidence water’ for very young children to build water confidence
- changing village (area including individual and family changing cubicles)
Fitness and sports areas include:
- a substantial, 150-station state-of-the-art fitness suite with double the number of fitness stations compared to the existing centre
- two squash courts
- a dedicated spinning bikes studio
- two multi-use exercise studios for a variety of classes and activities
Community and support spaces include:
- a spacious foyer and reception area
- a large café, open to both centre users and the public
- flexible community spaces and a dedicated creche
- two Changing Places facilities for disabled visitors
- serving hatch from the café to the exterior, to improve access from pitches
- additional changing facilities for people using the adjacent outdoor pitches
Parking and accessibility options include:
- a large car park featuring 219 spaces and 22 electric vehicle charging points
- motorcycle parking
- bicycle parking
- accessible parking bays
- drop-off areas
- good access to buses and public transport
- extensive lighting and CCTV to make the site safe and secure
Improved walking and cycling routes, planned as part of the Clipstone Park development, will connect the building to new and existing communities.
The existing sports hall and squash courts at the Tiddenfoot site are integral to Cedars Upper School and will remain open and available for residents to use and enjoy. The sports hall facility is not being moved to the new proposed site.
The existing Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre will remain open until the new centre is complete to ensure residents have continuous access to leisure provision.