The large scale refurbishment of the popular facility will include a 25m swimming pool, a 20m learner pool, a pool pod to improve accessibility, a combined lobby area with pool viewing and café, a wet village change, an inclusive changing places toilet and a health and wellbeing spa facility. There will also be a wellness assessment room, an enlarged fitness suite, fitness changing and dry change areas, two flexible studio spaces, an immersive indoor cycle studio, a four-court sports hall and storage, a gymnastics hub and staff rooms and offices.

The new mix of facilities at Altrincham Leisure Centre – to be rebranded move Altrincham - has been developed with support from Sport England to deliver long-term sustainable leisure provision that gives the best health and wellbeing outcomes for residents – a long term commitment to the local community from Trafford Council.

The designs also include the replacement of the fossil fuel (gas) heating system with Air Sourced Heat Pumps and Solar Panels, which are significantly more sustainable options than the existing systems, and support Trafford Council’s carbon neutral action plan.

The investment supports the Council’s strategy and commitment to get more people moving more often, helping improve health and wellbeing, and is part of its Physical Activity Strategy, ‘Trafford Moving’.  It forms part of a borough-wide long-term strategy to support the health and wellbeing of local residents through access to affordable, sustainable, accessible and exciting, modern leisure facilities. It follows the redevelopment of move Urmston in March 2020, and will see further refurbishments carried out on a phased arrangement, with Altrincham Leisure Centre earmarked as the first to be transformed followed by both Stretford and Sale.

“This is fantastic news for the people of Altrincham and the surrounding areas. We are investing millions of pounds into this project as we believe that is the right thing to do to ensure residents are given top-class facilities to ensure they can improve their health, fitness and wellbeing. Thank you to the Executive for supporting these truly exciting plans,” said Cllr Andrew Western, Trafford Council Leader.

The proposals are subject to further consultation and securing planning permission which is expected to be submitted in autumn 2022.

The centre will close over Christmas 2022 to prepare for the work being carried out in January 2023. The full refurbishment of Altrincham Leisure Centre is estimated to take up to 18 months.