Plans for the new King Alfred Leisure Centre are due to be published today (Friday 12 September).
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Ambitious plans have been revealed for a new sports and leisure facility to replace the ageing King Alfred Leisure Centre.
“The proposed facility will transform the current seafront site into a modern, accessible and sustainable leisure destination for all, with spaces for sports, leisure and social and wellbeing activities.
“The building is designed to make the most of its seafront location, offering sea views from the pools, gym and café, while landscaping will connect it to a revitalised public realm.
“Following extensive community engagement and design development, the proposals reflect the needs and aspirations of our residents.
“The plans include a wide mix of facilities, including a much larger fitness suite, a leisure water area, a family entertainment zone and improved accessibility throughout.”
The council also said that it had appointed Willmott Dixon as its preferred contractor, complementing the professional design team that was selected by the council at the start of the year.
The company has extensive experience in building leisure centres – more than 160 in the past decade – including 108 swimming pools.
It has also had a key role in a number of significant educational and healthcare projects in the local area, including the recent transformation of Brighton Metropolitan College.
Willmott Dixon’s managing director for construction (south), Richard Poulter, said: “We are excited to be appointed as the preferred contractor for this transformational project.
“Having recently delivered the successful transformation of Brighton Metropolitan College, we understand the importance of creating facilities that truly serve this vibrant coastal community.
“The new King Alfred Leisure Centre presents an exciting opportunity to create a world-class facility that maximises its unique seafront location through innovative design and sustainable construction practices.
“Drawing on our extensive experience of delivering over 160 leisure facilities nationwide – including 108 swimming pools – we bring proven expertise in complex waterfront developments and environmental resilience.
“We’re particularly excited to integrate cutting-edge sustainable technologies and accessibility innovations that will set new standards for coastal leisure facilities.
“Working alongside Brighton and Hove City Council and Alliance Leisure, we’re committed to delivering not just a building but a community hub that will serve residents and visitors for generations to come.”
The council said that Alliance Leisure was the main delivery partner for the scheme and that the project team included GT3 Architects and a range of specialist consultants and engineers.
Alliance Leisure Development director Tom Fairey said: “We are delighted that this hugely significant project has now taken another big step forward with the appointment of Willmott Dixon.
“We are looking forward to continuing at pace through the next stages of pre-construction and to working with our expert partners to deliver this modern and sustainable new centre which will meet the needs of the Brighton and Hove community for many years to come.”
The council added: “The plans will now be reviewed to determine how much everything will cost and what needs to be done to ensure the project is feasible, affordable and ready to move ahead smoothly.
“The council is proposing a capital investment of up to £65 million in the project as part of its ongoing commitment to invest in sports and leisure facilities across the city.
“This will be funded through a mix of government grants, council borrowing and the sale of part of the site for residential development.
“The new centre is expected to generate significant revenue, helping to offset costs and ensure long-term viability.
“Members of the council’s Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee will discuss the proposals and next steps for the project at a meeting on Monday 22 September.
“Later that week, cabinet members will consider the proposals at September’s cabinet meeting on Thursday 25 September and if agreed, will move the project on to its next phase.
“If the proposals are agreed, residents will soon be invited to view the designs for the new leisure centre and share feedback of the facility mix through exhibitions and an online survey set to launch this autumn.
“Subject to further cabinet approval, a planning application will be submitted by the end of the year.
“We do not anticipate any work to begin on site before early 2026 and the facility is not expected to open before spring 2028.
“While the project progresses the existing King Alfred Leisure Centre will be kept open for as long as feasible.
“For more information and updates and to view the proposals, visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/king-alfred-development.”
Labour councillor Alan Robins, the council’s cabinet member for sports, recreation and libraries, said: “I’m delighted that we’re pushing forward with the next stage of this exciting project.
“Residents were clear that they wanted the King Alfred Leisure Centre to stay on the seafront and we’re moving forward with that plan at pace.
“We have some early images of the designs – and I really believe we can deliver a spectacular new leisure centre that the whole city can be proud of.”
Fellow Lavour councillor Joy Robinson said: “This is such an important project for residents in Central Hove.
“I’ve been involved in pushing forward these plans and can’t wait to see the eventual finished product: a fabulous new leisure centre and a welcoming new public space leading to the sea.
“On a personal note, I’m a regular user of the current King Alfred centre and know how essential it is to build a new facility that meets the needs of residents.”
The Labour MP for hove and Portslade Peter Kyle said “It’s so exciting to see this project moving forward and to get a glimpse of the early designs.
“We’ve needed a new leisure centre for a long time and I’m so pleased that the Labour council are forging ahead and making progress.”
The “fitness suite” will be much smaller, not increased. The plans entail the demolition of the seriously equipped, 250-item Fitlab gym which, a social force, is much used and occupies several large floors. Also gone will be the nationally esteemed Boxing Club and the multi-use Ballroom with its sprung floor. There are many other factors ovelooked in the glossy tone of this article as well as the fact of its being funded by the building of flats for which there is no design presented. The “visualisation” here is off the peg.
Since the flats would be developed by a private company their design isn’t part of the the redevelopment scheme hence why there are no designs for them at the moment!
Aand sinced the design hasn’t been released yet all your assertions about the gym and ballroom and boxing club are just unsubstantiated rubbish
Councillor Robins has asserted that Fitlab will not be accomodated in this paltry substitute.
Hove isn’t really ready for anything other than a square box as I recall frank ghery being shot down which would have made Hove a place in its own right rather than a little place attached to Brighton.
Only 22 years after the more creative Frank Gehry designed option was under discussion, pretty quick for this Labour council to progress ANY plan to be fair…
22 years is kind of ridiculous and pretty shameful state of affairs imo!
AN £18M RISE IN COSTINGS SINCE THE £47M ESTIMATE OF LESS THAN A YEAR AGO? SOMETHING STINKS IN THE STATE OF DENMARK. ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WITHDEAN POOL IS BEING BUILT FOR LESS THAN £7M. IS THERE ANYONE PROFICIENT IN FINANCE AT THE COUNCIL? ONLY A WEEK AFTER ANNOUNCING THEY ARE £420M IN DEBT? CALL IN THE INDEPENDENT AUDITORS. SPECIAL MEASURES ARE URGENTLY NEEDED. THEY ARE ALSO COUNTING ON OTHER TOWNS AGREEING TO BE ROBBED BY BHCC. THEY WILL HAVE A FIGHT ON THEIR HANDS. MOST OF THEM HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH ANGER THERE IS IN PEACEHAVEN AND NEWHAVEN. AND OTHER THREATENED AREAS.
First stop shouting!
all caps is just rude
The councils accounts are already subject to independent audit.
The Council isn’t ‘counting on other towns agreeing to be robbed’
Local government reorganisation will be decided upon by the government not other councils.
THE COUNCIL CLOSING AND DEMOLISHING OUR AMENITIES AND PRETENDING TO DO US A FAVOUR IS WHAT IS RUDE. THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT WONT BE THERE LONG ENOUGH TO ENABLE OUR CITY COUNCIL’S PLANNED PLUNDER OF OTHER TOWNS’ BUDGETS. IT IS ALL FALLING APART ALREADY. BECAUSE STARMER’S OVERREACHED HIMSELF THIS TIME.
Council plans normally extend beyond any one term, and it is normal for successive councils to continue work started by a previous one.
Forgot to change your alias, methinks. And anger coming from a lack of understanding makes for a weak argument, James. Ask questions if you don’t know.
Great if it follows these plans. Much better than the “pile of plates” proposed before.
Compared to the site that started closing down 25 years ago we’re loosing:
An entire gym (cheetahs)
Boxing club
Lazer game (megazone)
Bowling alley
Snooker club
Ball room
Three massive flumes
A separate 10m teaching pool
Probably other stuff I don’t remember.
This is pathetic.
Still nothing for Black Rock, despite now having a Seafront Development Board. I see there’s no comment from them about KA !
I hope is affordable for people on benefits and has plenty of mindfulness classes
The ‘extensive community engagement’ did not include actually opening the books to demonstrate why it is that refurbishing the existing centre is not an option. That was claimed, very dubiously, to be ‘commercially confidential’.
Then there was the mysterious volte-face on moving the leisure centre to Benfield Valley, That was clearly the favoured option at one time. Until one day it wasn’t.
I note too that the location of this proposed centre on the King Alfred plot has changed completely since those first proposals. Be nice to have the thinking explained there, too.
If the council want to take people with them on this then there needs to be a lot more transparency. King Alfred users deserve to be treated as sentient beings and not credulous idiots who will swallow anything.