Council to Move Forward with Fountain Leisure Centre Replacement

Report into its future to be considered at Cabinet meeting

The centre sits on one last undeveloped site in the area

November 7, 2024

The report into the future of the Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre, prematurely released by the council last month, has now been published largely unamended.

There is no change to the main recommendation from council officers on the need to replace the ‘not fit for purpose’ facility.

If the cabinet meeting on 14 October approves the report, the council will start a consultation exercise before the end of the year on the future of the centre.

It will also be allocating £983,000 to appoint an architect to do a feasibility study into the options for the development of a new leisure centre. At this stage, the preference is to retain the facility on the current site but a move to a new location is not ruled out although it is implied this would be in the Brentford area. No alternative sites are mentioned in the report and it is acknowledged that the location on Chiswick High Road is the one remaining undeveloped plot in the immediate area. The architects will be asked to come up with proposals that require no further borrowing by the council and it is assumed the cost will be met by an associated housing development ‘to meet identified local need’.

There is also a one-off allocation of £285,000 to address immediately issues which potentially could lead to the closure of the centre if not dealt with. The two largest items of expenditure will be on the roof and fire safety.

An updated report based on the outcome of community engagement and the preferred option will be presented to the cabinet within six months. There will then be an assessment of the affordability of all emerging options, with ‘full consideration’ given to the Council’s overall financial constraints.

The council will also be undertaking a borough-wide analysis of current and future facility requirements utilising Sport England methodology to establish need and provision in the borough of leisure centres and swimming pools.

The Fountain Leisure Centre is one of six Leisure Centres owned by the council, operating under an agency arrangement with the council’s leisure provider Lampton Leisure Ltd. It is multi-purpose leisure centre with a gym, pools, courts, sports hall, cafe, and children’s soft play. It gets an average of 14,000 visits each month, has 1,700 fitness members and 1,200 swim school members.

Built in 1987, it requires significant investment and it is estimated £3.3million would be needed over the seven few years to keep it in a usable condition. The last time a major investment was made was in 2009 when there was a comprehensive refurbishment and maintenance programme, which spanned all Leisure Centres and Community halls. This saw the re-modelling of the Centre’s reception area, and refurbishment of the existing changing rooms, café, and existing gym. The council says that the high usage of the gym over the last 15 years means that much of this work would need to be redone. Current investment requirements include upgrades for the pool chlorination plant, ventilation system, air handling units, halls ceilings and pool fabric, as well the refurbishment of squash courts, sanitary wear, and shower cubicles.

A proposal for redevelopment was made in September 2016 but never taken forward and two previous feasibility studies have been carried out on the replacement of the centre.

The last major investment was in 2022, when the Council secured £1.3m in funding from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to retrofit the Centre with low carbon technological solutions, to heat the building and the pool. Heat pumps, LED lighting upgrade and a Solar PV system were installed to reduced utility bills.

Council officers believe that with suitable investment, the centre could last for ‘several more years’, but doubt this would ever be recouped. Low customer services scores linked to the Centre are blamed on the building’s condition.

All the council’s leisure centres collectively will require a subsidy of £2.1mn this financial year but it is hoped that lower running costs at a redeveloped Fountain Centre would result in no requirement for further subsidies.

The report states, “Given the financial pressures facing the Council this project needs to result in a proposal for a leisure facility that can operate without the need for subsidy from the Council’s revenue budget with any construction work being funded via a wider regeneration project.”

Cllr Salman Shaheen, Hounslow Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces, said, “We are excited about the opportunity to deliver a new, modern leisure centre for Brentford that will meet the needs of our diverse community. As the Fountain Leisure Centre reaches the end of its life, we are committed to ensuring that the new facility will be of high quality and accessible to all.

“Any future decisions about the Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre will be based on a thorough and transparent process, with a major emphasis on community engagement to shape the proposals.

“Before we take the next steps, we want to hear from the entire Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre community. Your input will be vital in designing a leisure centre that reflects the aspirations and needs of our residents. A survey will be launching in November, and we encourage all residents, visitors, local clubs, staff, and schools to get involved and help us create a thriving, inclusive space for everyone.”