Town mayor does honours as leisure centre marks start of a major £17m refurbishment project
Local dignitaries gather for special sod-cutting moment to celebrate works
A popular leisure centre in Leek has celebrated a milestone moment in its £17m refurbishment scheme.
Brough Park Leisure Centre is currently closed to users whilst the venue undergoes work aimed at creating a healthier local community.
Our Salix team joined the Chairman of the Staffordshire Moorlands, the Mayor of Leek, and the Leader of the council to celebrate the project which has been partly funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
From left: Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, Councillor Matt Swindlehurst, Councillor Barry Birch, Owain Davies of Salix, Council Leader Councillor Mike Gledhill, Rebecca McNamara of Salix and Councillor Charlotte Atkins
Credit: Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
The celebratory sod-cutting has been hailed a success with day focusing on the centre which is set to reopen to users in early 2026 under the local brand of MyActive Leek.
Leek Town Mayor, Barry Birch said: “I’ve lived on the estate just behind this leisure centre all my life, it’s amazing what’s happening now – it was very outdated so this will be a totally new era for the 21st century, it’s nice to have the support of [people like you] this PSDS funding to make it happen.”
At the event Councillor Mike Gledhill, Leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, said: “We’re creating a state-of-the-art facility for our residents that present and future generations will enjoy for many decades to come.
“Staffordshire Moorlands will have a health and wellbeing facility to be proud of that will increase participation in activity, help make invaluable social connections and reduce our impact on the environment through valuable decarbonisation work.”
Work is now well underway on site – this area is where the swimming pool was
Credit: Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
The council has embarked on an ambitious £17m project for the much-loved leisure centre.
As part of this, it has scooped £1,123,958 from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme which will be used to strip out of gas fired heating and water boilers and replace them with electrically driven air source heat pumps.
The funding will also be used to install solar panels, LED lighting and an upgrade to the building management system.
The council has contributed further funds which means the total cost of this part of the project will be £2m.
The scheme aimed at helping the public sector meet net zero ambitions, is run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and is delivered by our teams at Salix.
From left: Councillor Barry Birch and Councillor Charlotte Atkins chat with contractors working on the re-development of Brough Park Leisure Centre
Credit: Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
Cabinet member for Climate Change and Environment, Councillor Nigel Yates, said: “We’ve declared a climate emergency, so decarbonisation is a high priority for us. Investment in decarbonisation measures such as the pump will improve the building’s efficiency and make a big contribution to our net zero targets.
“This is one of four sites that account for the vast majority of the council’s carbon usage, along with MyActive Biddulph where we have another Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme-funded project in progress.
“The funding for these two sites has really supported us with the council’s ambitions.”
The overall £17m council project involves creating a new six-lane 25-metre swimming pool, an additional training pool, and a bigger gym.
The government Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding will help pay for solar PV, LED lighting, an upgrade to the building management system and replace existing air handling units with more efficient units.
The project will be carried out over two years with the majority of money to be spent in year one.
This project forms part of the council's wider Leisure Transformation Plan and whilst the centre is closed customers are being invited to use Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre and South Moorlands Leisure Centre in Cheadle.
Owain Davies, a client support officer at Salix, is supporting the council in its net zero journey. Owain attended the celebrations and couldn’t wait to have a look at the building where the works are planned.
He said: “Congratulations to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council on securing this funding for the leisure centre which has a high energy use.
“I am looking forward to seeing how the works progress and supporting the council on this very important net zero journey. The funding will not only help the building become more energy efficient but will create an even better resource for the local community.
“It’s wonderful to come here to see the enthusiasm of those involved in the project as well as the commitment to the net zero challenge.”
From left: Council Leader Councillor Mike Gledhill, Chairman Councillor Ian Plant, Leek Town Mayor Councillor Barry Birch, and Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, Councillor Matt Swindlehurst, at the sod-cutting ceremony which marks the official start of works.
Credit: Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
When the new health and wellbeing facility re-opens in early 2026 it will feature:
- A six-lane, 25m main pool with accessible access points
- A learner pool for lessons, classes and casual use
- A 60-station fitness gym – almost double the previous size
- A 25 bike immersive group cycling studio
- A modern village changing area to serve the swimming pool areas
- A fully-inclusive ‘changing places’ facility, supporting people with additional needs or disabilities
- An improved café and reception area to relax and socialise in
- A community wellness suite to support people who are new to exercise, recovering from illness and injury or being referred by their GP
- A soft play to help children have fun and play
The professional teams who have worked on the design and are now taking forward the construction phase include Speller Metcalfe, Abacus, Roberts Limbrick, Alliance Leisure Services and Design Active.
