Background to the project
£33.9 million has been invested to provide residents with state-of-the-art modern leisure and community amenities to meet the needs of Leighton-Linslade’s growing population.
Construction of the leisure centre started in October 2024 and opened to the public on Saturday 27 June 2026.
About the new Leighton Leisure and Community Centre
Leighton Leisure and Community Centre is operated by Everyone Active on behalf of Central Bedfordshire Council, representing a £33.9 million investment in health, wellbeing and community facilities for Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding area.
Construction of the state-of-the-art centre commenced in October 2024. It has been built by Willmott Dixon.
The new leisure centre is to the north of Clipstone Brook, accessed by Briggington Way, east of Leighton Buzzard. It replaces Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, which is now closed, and offers a wide range of accessible modern fitness, leisure and community facilities.
Address
Leighton Leisure and Community Centre,
Pursuit Way,
Leighton Buzzard,
LU7 3SS
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
- two squash courts
- dedicated group cycle studio
- two multi-use exercise studios for a variety of classes and activities
- reformer pilates studio
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
- two Changing Places facilities for disabled visitors
- serving hatch from the café to the exterior, to improve access from outdoor pitches
- additional changing facilities for people using the adjacent outdoor pitches (outdoor pitches are being provided by the developer of Clipstone Park)
Parking and accessibility options include:
- a large car park featuring 219 spaces and 22 electric vehicle charging points
- motorcycle parking
- 36 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, 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.
Timings for the new Leighton Leisure and Community Centre
In January, 2024, our Development Management Committee approved the plans for a new leisure centre in Leighton-Linslade.
Construction on the site in Clipstone Brook, served by Briggington Way, east of Leighton Buzzard started on site in October 2024.
Project timeline
April – July 2022
Consultation on the plans for a new leisure centre.
View the Statement of Community Engagement (PDF)
11 October 2022
Executive Committee decision to proceed.
November 2022
Planning application submitted
January 2024
Planning application approved.
June 2024
Construction partner appointed.
October 2024
Commencement of work on site.
27 June 2026
Leighton Leisure and Community Centre to open.
How is the new leisure and community centre being funded?
We are constructing the new leisure centre with £33.9 million of funding from our capital budget and Section 106 contributions.
How will the proposals impact the existing leisure facilities?
Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre will remain open until the new leisure centre is ready for use. At that point, activities will transfer from the existing facility to the new centre. he existing sports hall and squash courts are part of the Cedars Upper School site. These will remain in place and continue to be available for community use.
What will happen to Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre?
We have not yet taken a decision on the future use of the existing Tiddenfoot leisure facilities. We will consider the future of Tiddenfoot in advance of the new centre opening.
How have we determined the mix of facilities for the new leisure centre?
In 2021 we adopted our new Leisure Facilities Strategy. The strategy assessed leisure facility needs across the council. It provided recommendations for future provision to meet current and future needs.
The assessment considered the current facility, current need, and future growth. The results showed a new centre should be provided for Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding area due to the age of the existing centre and the need to provide high quality leisure facilities for the growing population.
What facilities should we provide in Leighton-Linslade according to the leisure strategy?
The leisure strategy included a Sport England Facilities Planning Model (FPM) assessment. This assessed current and future demand for sports hall and swimming pool provision. It included demand generated by the increased population forecast in the Local Plan.
The FPM results show that we need one 4-badminton-court-size sports hall. The existing six court sports hall at Cedars Upper School already fulfils this demand.
It highlighted that we need a 25-metre, six-lane, main swimming pool. We also need a 17-metre by 10-metre teaching/learner pool to meet the forecast swimming demand. We have decided to increase the provision to include a larger 25-metre, eight-lane main pool. This will give us greater flexibility and capacity to run a range of pool activities.
Why are we proposing the new centre in the planned location?
The new site is the right size and in a good strategic location. There are good links to the residential development and the wider catchment area. The leisure facilities strategy compared the accessibility of the new site with Tiddenfoot. It highlighted that the new centre offered similar levels of accessibility. It is a similar distance from the town centre and will be on the local bus route.
Grass sports pitches are being provided by the neighbouring housing developments. These will be adjacent to the proposed leisure centre. This provides an opportunity to create an indoor and outdoor sporting hub. The hub will be a great resource for the wider Leighton-Linslade community.
Why is there no sports hall included in the proposals?
Our leisure facilities strategy assesses the demand for sports hall provision. The assessment considers current and future use and trends. This evidence shows we only need one four-court hall to meet those needs.
The existing six-court sports hall and squash courts are part of Cedars Upper School. These facilities will continue to be available for community use.
Will there be a change in how the community accesses the school sports hall?
Cedars Upper School already lets out pitches to the community. It has a booking system in place and has now added these facilities to its community offer.
Will my monthly subscription increase once the new facility opens?
Fees are set annually in conjunction with our leisure operator. There is no intention to increase the fees outside of this normal process. We want to ensure the new leisure centre remains accessible to as many people as possible.
Will there be some time when leisure facilities are not available?
The local community will be able to access leisure facilities throughout the project. Tiddenfoot will remain open until we complete construction on the new centre. At this point we will transfer activities to the new centre. There will only be a brief period needed to transfer operations from the old centre to the new one. We will communicate the timing of this in advance.
The sports hall and squash courts at Cedars Upper School will continue to operate as they do now.
Does this mean we will halt ongoing work on the existing Tiddenfoot leisure centre?
We will continue to ensure existing facilities remain safe, operational, and well-maintained. This will continue until the new leisure centre is ready to open.
Will changing facilities for the outdoor pitches be provided?
We will be providing changing facilities for the outdoor pitches. These will be in the new leisure centre with direct access out to the pitches.
When will the new centre be open to the public?
Work started in October 2024 and the centre is due to open on 27 June 2026.
Will disabled facilities and changing places be available for all?
Yes, all changing areas offer flexibility for all users. Sport England guidance requires us to provide combined accessible WC and shower rooms for the use of disabled users. We are providing these on both floors. We have designed changing areas for wheelchair use to ensure suitable access.
We will provide 2 ‘Changing places’ rooms- one in the wet change area, and one in the dry side. Both areas will provide a generous change area. This follows ‘changing places’ guidance. These facilities support users with an accessible changing environment.
Do the proposals include a pool hoist to ensure accessibility to the pool for all?
Both pools will include provision for an 'Oxford Dipper' and 'pool pod.' These provide supported access into the pools. The main pool will also have easy-access stairs with handrails.