Construction partner confirmed for new Trowbridge leisure centre

Wiltshire Council has confirmed its construction partner for the new Trowbridge leisure centre as work on the ground moves ever closer.   

Pellikaan Construction will head up the construction of the new leisure centre in the county town. The company also built the hugely impressive Melksham Community Campus, which opened in 2022.   

Construction work is set to get underway this Spring.  

The planning application for the new leisure centre in Trowbridge was approved, subject to conditions, by Wiltshire Council's Strategic Planning Committee on 11 December last year. The new centre will be built on the council-owned East Wing site, located across the road from County Hall.   

Longer term and in conjunction with the new project, to support connectivity in this busy area the council is planning to refurbish the Longfield Gyratory and traffic signals at the Tesco access. This work will involve resurfacing, better street lighting and signalling access arrangements, and will improve access to that area for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians alike.  

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Public Health said: "Yet another milestone has been reached on this project, which has significant momentum - demonstrating our desire and passion to deliver this brand-new leisure centre for Trowbridge and the wider area. We're delighted to be working with Pellikaan Construction on another significant project. They showed how professional and community-focussed they are with their work on the hugely popular Melksham Community Campus.  

"The location of our new leisure centre in Trowbridge will provide quality health, fitness and wellbeing facilities for our communities and unlock wider work in the area to complement our overall vision for Trowbridge and enhance connectivity. Work will be getting underway very soon. The whole project team can't wait to see the vision take shape."

In developing the leisure centre Wiltshire Council has worked with Alliance Leisure, the delivery partner for the UK Leisure Framework (UKLF).  The partnership between the council, Alliance Leisure and the UKLF provides an end-to-end solution that will scope, procure, design and build a sustainable leisure facility for local residents.

Julia Goddard, Regional Director, Alliance Leisure, said: "With our extensive experience in developing over 280 leisure projects, we are committed to leading a team of top-tier experts to create an exceptional new leisure facility for Trowbridge. Our goal is to design a sustainable and inclusive leisure centre that caters to the needs of the local community, fostering long-lasting improvements in physical and mental health and wellbeing."   

Throughout this project, the council has been working closely with internal and external colleagues with the shared goal of optimising the quality of the new leisure centre. Roberts Limbrick Architects has led on the design, with Hadron Consulting providing project management and Hydrock (now Stantec) as Engineer.    

The leisure centre will be constructed using high-quality, robust materials, with glazed facades and a prominent entrance to welcome visitors. The modern design will have a strong industrial aesthetic that reflects the heritage of Trowbridge. Internally, accessibility has been put at the heart of the design plans.    

 To support the council's target of being carbon neutral by 2030, the project has been designed with a fabric first approach to ensure it will be as energy efficient as possible. Solar panels will be installed on available roof space, helping to power the all-electric building.  

This will be further supported by the external landscaping that will create a green island in Trowbridge with walking, cycling and wheeling travel routes woven in.

The new facility will contain the following:  

• A six-lane, 25m swimming pool       
• 7m x 13m learner pool       
• Gym with 120 exercise stations       
• Two studios       
• Immersive spin studio      
• Community meeting room       
• Café       
• Adventure play - providing activities for young people in the form of TAGactive (main target age group 12-16yrs)    
• Live well suite - providing a dedicated space for older people to exercise      

  Following previous extensive consultation and a review of a wide range of evidence and data, the new leisure centre facility does not include diving facilities, sports hall, or squash courts. It is anticipated that the dry side elements of Trowbridge Sports Centre (at Clarendon) would be retained there, including the sports hall, small hall and squash courts. Wiltshire Council is in discussion with Acorn Education Trust regarding the existing facilities at Trowbridge Sports Centre.     

More information about the plans can be found at New Trowbridge Leisure Centre.