Kingston Council to push ahead with exciting plans for new leisure facility in town centre

The council’s Response and Recovery Committee has approved ambitious plans to deliver a new cultural and leisure destination on the site of the Kingfisher Leisure Centre in what has been described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the town centre. 

The centre has been closed since 2019 after the discovery of structural problems in the roof of the building. Extensive survey work was needed to establish the extent of the problem not just with the roof but with the building as a whole.

The new facility will be designed by renowned leisure architects FaulknerBrowns who have delivered many high quality leisure facilities across the UK. Early designs will be shared with the community to gather their thoughts and feedback in the summer.

The committee also gave the go ahead for the council to continue exploring options for repurposing the Guildhall building and redeveloping the under-used council offices on the Guildhall complex, which are no longer fit-for-purpose.

Between 18 March and 25 April 2021, the council held a listening exercise to hear the views of residents, businesses, visitors, council staff, young people, schools and other stakeholders on the future of the Kingfisher, Cattle Market and Guildhall sites. More than 2,500 people responded to a survey to share their thoughts on the redevelopment of the area, and a series of public webinars and meetings were also held to gather input from the local community on what they want to see on the site.

Some of the most popular suggestions included a new, state-of-the-art leisure facility with a swimming pool, and creating an attractive destination with improved public spaces and enhanced connections with Kingston Library and Museum. Many respondents were also interested in social spaces, highlighting a desire for cafes, restaurants, and accessible, open areas to gather with friends and family. People were also keen on making more of the historic Hogsmill River which runs through the Guildhall complex.

Councillor John Sweeney, Portfolio Holder for Business and Leisure at Kingston Council, thanked residents for their input and said this was a once in a generation opportunity to position Kingston to thrive:

“Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to get involved and share your views in the survey, attending a webinar or getting in touch directly. We appreciate all the feedback received and we are delighted to have received so many good ideas.

 

“We will now all work together to renew our historic town centre. Our efforts will make Kingston even better for residents, business and visitors. Reviewing your feedback and working through your suggestions, we will continue engaging and consulting residents throughout the process. 

 

“Our priority is to use this opportunity to celebrate our rich past and strengthen Kingston’s town centre economy to thrive in post-COVID and for generations to come.”

The local community will be given more opportunities to give their feedback on the plans to the design team in a variety of ways as they evolve. More information can be found at www.kingstonletstalk.co.uk/transform-kingston.