New Leisure Centre for Littlehampton moves a step closer 23 September 2015
A report has recommended that the best location for the new Littlehampton Leisure Centre is the existing Sea Road site.
The detailed study, carried out by The Sports Consultancy on behalf of Arun District Council, concludes that a new centre is affordable and should be constructed on the site of the Sports Dome and the overflow car park.
This will allow the existing centre to remain open during the construction phase, which was a key requirement of the Council’s Leisure Strategy.
An alternative site north of the Littlehampton Academy was also considered, however the independent consultants advised that there were a number of potential delays that may affect construction on this site.
These included major uncertainties on the date of delivery for the new North/South link road; the acquisition of the land for the centre; and the costs associated with cleaning up the land previously used for landfill.
It was decided that these uncertainties and the associated costs would have a significant impact on delivering a centre at this location.
The Council’s Leisure, Tourism and Infrastructure Working Group will be given a presentation by The Sports Consultancy and debate the findings of the study when it meets on 1 October 2015.
Councillor Mrs Gillian Brown, Leader of Arun District Council, said: “We are extremely pleased with the findings of the report and believe the Sea Road site is the best place to construct this fantastic new leisure centre. One of the great benefits of the recommendation is that the new leisure centre will be up and running by 2019 for the public to enjoy.
“We want the best possible leisure services for people to the east of the River Arun and don’t want any delays in delivering this new centre. This is an exciting time for leisure provision in the district.”
Councillor Paul Dendle, Arun District Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Amenities, said: “A new larger centre is required to meet the growing population and will serve as a catalyst to improve the health, wellbeing and social needs of the district for generations to come.
"The new centre will transform the economics of leisure in Littlehampton, guaranteeing its future for decades to come. I feel confident that the findings of this study will be warmly received and I’m looking forward to seeing the new leisure centre take shape.”
The recommendation will also be considered by Arun District Council’s Cabinet on 16 November 2015.
