Ageing Tonbridge leisure centre needs to be refurbished or replaced - report

An ageing leisure centre will need to undergo a major refurbishment or be replaced, according to a report to be discussed at a council meeting next week.

The Angel Centre in Tonbridge, Kent, offers a range of sport, health and community facilities.

Improvements to the site would cost between £8.6m and £14.6m, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council said.

Meanwhile, a replacement has an estimated cost of £16.5m to £19.8m.

Built in 1981, the council owned building currently houses a gym, sports hall, dance studio and a pre-school nursery and is leased to and operated by leisure trust partner tmactive.

A committee report states that the centre, which is operating at a forecasted loss of £265,000 for the current financial year, needs a complete refurbishment to ensure it is fit for purpose.

At a meeting next week, members of the council's finance, regeneration and property committee will be told that while gym memberships are up on pre-pandemic levels, booking have declined, there are inadequate dance studios to meet demand and a lack of any catering facilities.

Improvements would include reconfiguring the internal layout, replacing heating systems, increasing energy efficiency and replacing the sports hall floor, the report states.

An alternative option of replacing the centre with new facilities will also put forward for consideration at the meeting on 14 November.

No proposals are being put forward for potential sites for a new building at this stage, the council said.

The report states that the centre would remain operational during construction of any new building to ensure continuity of service for users.

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