Fearnville Leisure Centre Gipton: Plans to turn 'ageing' Leeds leisure centre into state-of-the-art sports and wellbeing hub unveiled

Leeds City Council unveiled their new plans for Fearnville Leisure Centre in Gipton on Friday (December 22), with plans to transform and deliver a "healthy future" for the site.

The council has long had ambitions for the centre to be replaced with a facility "fit for the 21st century", which could become reality soon as good progress is being made towards identifying funding for a scheme that would deliver a "significant" boost to communities facing "sizeable social and economic challenges".

The plans would see a new wellbeing centre built as part of the King George V Playing Fields, a 28-acre green space that is home to the current facility.

Indoor amenities would include a large swimming pool, a learner pool, sports hall, fitness studio, spin room and a 120-station gym as well as a community café and adventure play area.

Major improvements would also be made to the outdoor areas, with an all-weather pitch, tennis courts, a play zone and even a skatepark among the proposed features.

On announcing the plans, the city council said: "The new-look centre would encourage more take-up of physical activity among residents in Gipton & Harehills and Killingbeck & Seacroft – densely-populated wards which suffer from low life expectancy and high obesity rates – as well as benefiting wider east Leeds.

"Local demand for sports and leisure facilities is set to grow in the coming years, with thousands of new homes planned through the East Leeds Extension and related development sites.

"Fearnville also offers essential learn-to-swim provision for more than 30 primary schools – part of the largest programme of its kind in the city."

An planning application for the new scheme has been submitted by the council. And if approved, it is hoped that work could start in the middle of 2024.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, public health and active lifestyles, said: “Improving the health and wellbeing of all our residents is one of the foundations of the council’s Best City Ambition – our vision for a Leeds that is compassionate and caring with a strong economy.

“To help us achieve this goal, we need to give people access to high-quality sports, fitness and leisure facilities of the type planned for Fearnville.

“The new centre will be a significant asset for Gipton & Harehills, Killingbeck & Seacroft and the wider east Leeds area, offering increased opportunities for physical activities while also fostering a greater sense of community inclusion and engagement among those who use it.

“We want to create something that is a real source of pride for people across east Leeds and has a positive impact on their health and wellbeing for many, many years to come.

“The council has made two unsuccessful bids to win support for a previous version of the Fearnville scheme from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, so I am pleased that we have been able to step in and move forward with the plans.”