Replacement Pendleton leisure centre could be built in 2028
Having been shelved due to rising costs in 2022, plans to build a sports and wellbeing facility off Churchill Way in Salford to replace the arson-attacked Clarendon Leisure Centre are progressing towards a start on site in 2027.
Next week, Salford City Council will approve the signing of a £522,000 contract with development partner Alliance Leisure to take the planned Pendleton Wellbeing Hub through technical design.
It is hoped that the project could complete at some point in 2028, subject to planning approval.
The scheme would feature 25m pool, interactive splash pad, 80-station gym, multi-purpose sports hall, and a café.
The Pendleton facility will follow Sports England’s Leisure Local concept, which aims to make developing community sports facilities more affordable. They are typically smaller, more flexible, leisure centres designed to meet the needs of a specific locale.
Allied Leisure has already delivered one in Mansfield and is bringing another forward in Hyndburn.
This phase of the design process for Clarendon Leisure Centre, which would cost £587,000 in total, would be paid for out of the recently agreed settlement Salford City Council will receive as a result of a fire that destroyed the former Clarendon Leisure Centre in 2024.
Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, lead member for culture, heritage, sports and leisure at Salford City Council, said: “The fire at Clarendon Leisure Centre was a devastating moment for our city, but today marks an exciting turning point. We promised local residents that we wouldn’t just patch up what was lost and have always been clear that we wanted to bring high-quality leisure facilities back to this community.
“This new centre will be built entirely around what local people told us they wanted. From kids learning to swim in the new pool and splash pad, to older residents keeping active in the gym or meeting friends in the café, this hub will be a beating heart that will serve generations to come while investing in people’s health, wellbeing and communities.”
Andrew Fethers, chair of Salford Community Leisure, added: ” We know how much Clarendon meant to local people and how keen residents have been to see progress.
“Despite the complex challenges following the fire, we never lost sight of what this means to the health and wellbeing of people in Salford. By securing the insurance settlement and actively seeking grant funding alongside backing the project with council support, we are turning a senseless arson attack into a major positive investment for Salford.”
