Leighton Linslade Leisure Centre – Community Health & Wellbeing Hub
Community health and wellbeing hub for Central Bedfordshire
Willmott Dixon has completed work on the new £33.9m Leighton Linslade Leisure Centre and officially handed it over to Central Bedfordshire Council.
The centre provides a modern leisure destination designed to support health, fitness and community wellbeing, while also incorporating a range of sustainability-led design and construction measures aligned with the council’s wider environmental ambitions.
The facility, operated by Everyone Active on behalf of the council, officially opened on Saturday, June 27. The new design includes an eight-lane, 25-metre swimming pool, learner pool with movable floor, dedicated splash pool, 150-station gym, multiple fitness studios and specialist wellbeing spaces.
External facilities include landscaped public areas, improved site accessibility and outdoor changing provision to support the adjacent sports facilities being delivered as part of the Clipstone Park development.
Simon Ramage, managing director at Willmott Dixon, said: “Leighton Linslade Leisure Centre represents the delivery of a modern, future-focused community asset designed to support both operational performance and long-term community wellbeing.
“By combining sustainable design principles with high-quality leisure provision, the project demonstrates how local authority developments can create lasting value for communities while also supporting wider environmental ambitions.”
The project was digitally delivered using BIM Level 2 processes to support efficient coordination across design and MEP integration, helping reduce waste and improve construction efficiency throughout delivery.
The design incorporates a number of sustainability-focused interventions including high-performance building fabric, low-carbon heating and ventilation systems, SuDS-compliant landscaping and material selections guided by whole-life performance considerations.
The completed facility, which replaces the existing Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, has been designed as a multi-generational community hub, supporting increased participation in physical activity while helping improve access to inclusive health and wellbeing services across the region.