News Extension at Maidstone Leisure Centre means upgrades and improvements
An extension to the contract for Maidstone Leisure Centre will include upgrades and improvements to the value of £2.5m.
Approved on Thursday 24 January, by the Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) Cabinet, the contract will be extended with Maidstone Leisure Trust and Serco continuing to provide facilities at the Leisure Centre, Fitness Centre, Sports Hall, Cafe and Adventure Zone for local residents.
The upgrades and improvements will include:
- Health & fitness equipment
- Immersive group exercise
- A new splash pad
- Soft play area
- Fitness and teaching pool ventilation system
- Changing village ventilation system
- Fitness and leisure dividing glazing
- Café refurbishment
The current contract is due to expire in August 2024. The extension (of up to eight years) will ensure the continued operation of facilities providing consistency with Council continuing to contract services with Maidstone Leisure Trust (MLT) and facility management using Serco Leisure.
MBC’s Leisure Centre is operated under a contract with MLT - an independent not-for-profit community benefit society comprised of volunteer trustees with an active interest in sport and leisure in the borough.
MBC Cabinet Member for Communities, Leisure and Arts - Councillor Claudine Russell said:
“The extension of the contract with the Maidstone Leisure Trust represents value for money for the taxpayer, along with the introduction of new and improved facilities at the centre. The capital spend will also introduce energy saving measures to assist in cutting the carbon footprint of the building.”
“The contract extension is scheduled to end when the capital investment for the new leisure centre will be available but has also taken the steps to improve the offering for residents along with energy saving measures. The centre is structurally sound and serviceable and our investment will mean that it continues to be so for the life of the contract extension. The health and wellbeing of our residents remains one of our strategic priorities.”
Also approved by the MBC Cabinet was £1,000,000 to bring forward plans for a new or refurbished leisure centre and the contract extension period will allow the Council to be flexible and agile in developing detailed plans and a future leisure centre, refurbished or redeveloped, that can be delivered before the end of the contract extension period.