Summer of fun ahead - Melksham Community Campus opens on 1 August

The Melksham community is all set for a summer of fun as Melksham Community Campus, with its brand new leisure, library, and community facilities, will open on 1 August.

The campus has been constructed by Pellikaan Construction Ltd, which specialises in the construction of sports and leisure facilities. It has been supported with a grant from Sport England and will offer a wide range of facilities and services under one roof, including a gym, cycle, and fitness studios, 25m pool and learner pool, sports hall, library,  and meeting space for the community.

Located in the Market Place, right in the heart of the town, the campus will open for the first time on 1 August at 10am.

The building has been formally handed over to Wiltshire Council from the construction company and the process is now under way to add the finishing touches, including getting all the equipment in place and ensuring staff are fully trained in their new surroundings.

 To assist with the transition, both Melksham Library and Melksham Blue Pool will close before the campus opens in August. Melksham Library will close on 19 July, and Melksham Blue Pool will close from the 24 July - with library and leisure services then commencing from the campus on 1 August.

Leisure and library members will be contacted directly about how this affects them and FAQs can be found at .

Melksham Without Parish Council will also be relocating to the campus.

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Libraries and Public Health, said:

"We said we'd be open in early August, and it doesn't come any earlier than the first of the month.

"Our staff are working hard and looking forward to welcoming the public to the fantastic facilities. We shall be open during the majority of the summer holidays, which will be welcome news to families in the area.

"I'd like to thank Pellikaan for the absolute first-rate job they've done. We couldn't be more pleased with how it's come together. To complete a project of this size and scale, amid the pandemic, is testament to their planning and professionalism.

"It's now over to us to carry out the finishing touches and get it ready for the big day, which we duly are.

" This is a significant investment. The campus will bring people together and help them to stay physically and mentally active, as well as helping the local economy - all key missions within our business plan."

Melksham Community Campus is a key milestone in the overall strategy of the town, which has seen significant investment by Wiltshire Council in recent years. This includes the opening of Oakfields football and rugby facility in 2017, the development of Melksham Market Place in 2017, the provision of a brand-new skate park in 2017, the development of a new cricket pavilion in 2017, and refurbishment of Melksham tennis courts in 2019. In addition, the campus itself will create 40 new jobs.

Approval was also recently granted to transform Melksham House into a flexible workspace and a multi-purpose area for the community, with work due to start in the next couple of months.

Wiltshire Council is working closely with Melksham Town Council so there is a clear strategy in place for the publicly-owned sites in the town to help ensure any decisions made are in the best interest of the long-term future of the local area and its residents.

For more information people should visit  or follow the campus' Facebook page at Facebook: Melksham Community Campus (opens new window).

The standard opening hours (except on 1 August when it will open at 10am), are:

Library self-service will be available outside of these hours when the leisure centre is open.