Plans for the new King Alfred Leisure Centre have taken a significant step forward after Brighton & Hove City Council’s Planning Committee resolved to grant planning permission, subject to referral to the Secretary of State.

GT3 Architects has led the architectural design for the proposed £65 million redevelopment, working alongside Alliance Leisure, Willmott Dixon and the wider consultant team to create a landmark leisure destination on Hove’s historic seafront.

The new facility has been designed to replace the existing leisure centre with a modern, accessible and sustainable destination that will support health, wellbeing and community life for generations to come. The proposals include significantly enhanced sports, fitness and leisure facilities, improved accessibility throughout and flexible spaces that respond to the changing needs of the local community.

A key feature of the project is its carefully planned construction programme, which will allow the existing leisure centre to remain operational while the new building is constructed alongside it. This approach helps maintain access to essential leisure facilities throughout the development.

Designed for Hove’s future

The design has been developed to respond to both the character of Hove and the evolving needs of its residents, creating a welcoming civic building that is efficient to operate, intuitive to navigate and adaptable for the future.

Damien Graham, Senior Architect at GT3 Architects, said:

“Our aim is to create a building that feels unmistakably part of Hove: respectful of its architectural heritage, but contemporary, welcoming and full of life. By planning the proposed centre from first principles, we’ve been able to create larger, more flexible and better-connected facilities within a building designed to be easier to navigate, more sustainable to operate and better equipped to serve the community for decades to come.”

Supporting healthier, more active communities

The proposed leisure centre will provide a broad range of facilities designed to encourage participation across all ages and abilities, including:

• An expanded 150-station fitness suite
• An eight-lane main swimming pool
• A versatile teaching pool with a movable floor
• A dedicated leisure water area
• A six-court sports hall
• Dedicated cycling and fitness studios
• A four-level soft play area
• A larger café with panoramic sea views
• Improved accessibility throughout, including a Changing Places facility and enhanced wayfinding

The project forms part of Brighton & Hove City Council’s wider Sports Facilities Investment Plan and represents a major investment in the city’s long-term health, wellbeing and leisure infrastructure.

Following referral to the Secretary of State, the project will progress through the final stages of pre-construction, with work on site anticipated to begin next year. The new King Alfred Leisure Centre is expected to open in 2028.