Brandon Leisure Centre given green light for £1.9m investment

A £1.9 million investment to improve fitness and community health facilities in Brandon Leisure Centre was approved by West Suffolk Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday night.

The plans for the Church Road site will include two new studios and improved adult and baby changing facilities as well as consulting rooms and offices for the Brandon Community Health Team.

Councillor Jo Rayner, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and community hubs, said at the meeting: "It has three key aims: to increase the number of people partaking in physical activity improving health and well being, improving the financial performance of the leisure centre and developing integrated health and leisure pathways."

The money will come from two places: £1,673,889 from the Leisure Strategic Investment Fund, that was set up by St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath Councils in 2016, before the councils merged, and £302,111 from the council's Investment in Growth fund.

Opening for questions or opinion from the rest of the Cabinet, cllr David Roach said: “I think it is good to show our investment in Brandon and hopefully we can do more as we move on.

“I am conscious that Brandon feels that it needs some development, it needs some support and I am happy to support this and perhaps we can now start showing the way for Brandon.”

The vote was carried nine votes in favour of the plans to one against.

Work is proposed to begin in November, with the completed project set to be fully opened in September 2021.