Houghton Regis Leisure and Community Centre frequently asked questions
Funding
How is the new leisure and community centre being funded?
We secured nearly £20 million of funding from the government's Levelling Up Fund (LUF) for this new development at the end of October 2021. In addition, Section 106 funding secured for leisure centre provision in Houghton Regis is supporting the project, together with our capital funding.
What did the LUF bid include?
Find out more about the LUF bid, including documents. These include the information submitted to the government in support of our application, submitted in June 2021.
View or download the report to our Executive in December 2021 (PDF) regarding the LUF bid.
Existing use
What will happen to the former Houghton Regis Academy buildings on the site?
Houghton Regis Academy closed on 31 August 2022. The academy buildings on the site have been demolished as part of the initial construction stage for the new leisure and community centre development.
How will the proposals impact the existing leisure facilities?
The existing Houghton Regis Leisure Centre will remain open and operational until the new leisure and community centre is open and ready for use. At that point, activities will transfer from the existing centre to the new leisure and community centre, and the existing leisure centre will be decommissioned. We will consider the future use of the existing leisure centre.
Leisure provision
How has the mix of facilities for the new leisure and community centre been determined?
In 2021, we adopted our Leisure Facilities Strategy to provide the assessment of leisure facility needs and guide decisions on new provision across Central Bedfordshire.
The evidence and assessment considered the current facility and the needs of Houghton Regis as it is planned to grow. The results showed that a new centre should be provided for Houghton Regis, to replace the existing one due to its age and capacity, to provide a range of high-quality, flexible sporting facilities and activities, and meet the needs of the current and new residents.
Will there be space for swimming lessons, lane swims, and classes in the new centre?
Yes, the new facilities will provide maximum flexibility of pool space to cater for a range of activities.
The Leisure Facilities Strategy work included an assessment of the demand for swimming pool provision which demonstrated that more space was needed for all ages and activities. That is why the leisure and community centre will include an 8-lane, 25-metre main pool, a learner pool, and confidence water for very young children to dip their toes in the water.
Why is there no sports hall included?
Our Leisure Facilities Strategy evidence and assessment showed that a new leisure centre should be provided for Houghton Regis to replace the existing one due to its age and capacity, and in particular to address the size of the swimming pool.
The sports hall to be provided in the new Houstone School will meet the strategy recommendation for a 4-court sports hall, and community access will be secured in a Community Use Agreement.
What does a Community Use Agreement include?
A Community Use Agreement is a legal agreement made between the applicant (usually the school constructing new facilities) and our planning team to secure community access to new sports facilities.
- hours of community access (expected from 5:30pm weekdays, all day weekends, and in school holidays)
- management arrangements
- facilities available for community use e.g. pitches, toilets, parking, etc.
Details for booking facilities will be developed in a separate but related agreement.
Parking and access
How many parking spaces will the new leisure and community centre have?
The new centre will have an adjacent car park with 238 spaces, including accessible bays close to the entrance and electric vehicle charging points.
Will the new leisure and community centre have an impact on traffic locally?
The new centre will replace the existing facility on the Kingsland Campus, so there shouldn't be a significant increase in traffic accessing the site.
We've completed a full transport assessment, including surveys on the local highway network, which was published as part of the planning application.
Environment
What are we doing to protect the natural environment?
Existing vegetation such as hedgerows and trees will be retained where possible. Additional planting will enhance connectivity and biodiversity value across the site.
A management plan will be produced to outline the maintenance and safeguarding of the natural environment on the site.