A leading councillor warned colleagues of the danger of failing to act now as they considered whether to grant planning permission for a new King Alfred swimming pool and leisure centre.
Labour councillor Alan Robins, the council’s cabinet member for sports, recreation and libraries, said: “The King Alfred regeneration project is one of the council’s most ambitious capital works projects.
“It’s a key part of our wider Sports Facilities Investment Plan to support the city’s health and wellbeing and make active leisure more accessible for all.
“It’s a long-overdue project the city has been anticipating for decades.
“As someone who has lived in Hove and Portslade all my life, longer than many others in this room, I have a strong personal connection with the current King Alfred.
“My family learnt to swim there, played sport there, exercised there and built friendships there. It is a much-loved facility and an important part of our city.
“But we also have to be honest about its condition. The current building is ageing, increasingly expensive to maintain and no longer fit for the needs of a modern city.
“If we don’t act now, we are at a very real risk of it needing to close and residents not having access to any facilities in this part of the city.
“Reports have shown that substantial investment would be needed simply to keep it operating for a limited period – and, even then, it would still fall far short of modern standards for accessibility, sport and leisure provision.
“Residents deserve better. What’s being presented today is a practical, deliverable proposal for a modern leisure centre that has been designed around how people actually use facilities today.
“It’s accessible, inclusive and designed to support health and wellbeing for our residents of all ages and abilities.
“Importantly, this is a proposal that can be delivered while keeping a leisure centre available to residents throughout construction. That is a huge advantage.
“Rather than closing the King Alfred and asking residents to go without for several years, this approach allows sport, swimming and community activities to continue while the new centre is built.
“For many people, especially families, older residents and those who rely on exercise to manage their health and wellbeing, that matters enormously.
“These proposals have been shaped by the communities that will be using the sports centre. Throughout, all decisions have been taken publicly.
“This high level of engagement continues today, with incredibly high numbers of responses to the planning application, allowing our team to take these comments on board and to shape the proposals.”
He mentioned the dozens of people in the public gallery and added: “Getting this right and being shaped by the community matters.
“The delivery of a new leisure centre for the west is a long-standing ambition. Over the past 30 years there have been three stalled attempts to deliver the project – and the need for this facility is now more acute than ever.
“I hear people’s argument that they’ve seen previous attempts fail. But this proposal is different. It can and will be built and it can get started straight away if you approve it today.
“As a council, leisure centres are our core business. We understand how these facilities operate, how residents use them and what the city needs from them.
“We have the experience, the evidence and the long-term commitment because this is a public service we provide for our residents.
“Previous proposals depended heavily on third-party developers. When market conditions changed, those projects stalled and ultimately failed to deliver.
“This time, we – Brighton and Hove City Council – have taken ownership of delivery of this project rather than relying on developers.
“We have assembled a world-class team of architects and specialist, with a strong track record of delivering council-run leisure centres up and down the country.
“This proposal … makes the best possible use of the challenges of a constrained seafront site. It balances sporting needs, accessibility, sustainability, parking provision and the surrounding public realm.
“It is ambitious where it needs to be but above all it is practical and achievable.
“If this is approved, we can provide a modern, accessible and sustainable leisure centre for future generations while ensuring residents continue to have access to sport and leisure throughout the construction period.
“With planning permission granted, we will move forward at pace, with demolition under way in the coming weeks.
“And, as I’ve said in the past, spades in the ground in January 2027 and toes in the water by autumn 2028.
“I strongly support this application for the best health and wellbeing outcomes for all our residents and encourage colleagues to do the same.”
