A £22m refurbishment of Altrincham Leisure Centre has been given the go ahead by Trafford Council. Sport England has supported its development under the council’s “Trafford Moving” strategy, which aims to provide sustainable and accessible leisure amenities to the community.

Some of the new facilities will include a 25m swimming pool, 20m learner pool, spa area, wellness assessment room, enlarged fitness suite, two studio spaces, indoor cycle studio, four-court sports hall and gymnastics hub.

Jo Cherrett, CEO of Trafford Leisure (which manages leisure in Trafford on behalf of Trafford Council) said: “We are ecstatic to finally get the green light from Trafford Council on the full refurbishment of Altrincham Leisure Centre. We can’t wait to breathe life back into the building, future proofing it for future generations.

“When we re-open its doors, the modern, fit-for-purpose leisure venue will be an inspiring space to help local residents with every aspect of their wellbeing. It will become the second site Trafford Leisure will open under the new brand name, move.”

The new club will be branded Move Altrincham. It forms part of Trafford Council’s borough-wide plans to revamp four leisure centres, which saw the formal opening of Move Urmston in March 2022 (formerly Urmston Leisure Centre), after a £7.5m investment and initial launch during lockdown in March 2020. Sale and Stretford Leisure centres will also undergo a refit as part of the scheme.

According to the plans, the redesign also focuses on reducing fossil fuel usage. The existing gas heating system will be replaced by air-sourced heat pumps and solar panels – this is in line with Greater Manchester’s target of being carbon neutral by 2038.

Councillor Andrew Western of Trafford Council said: “This centre will be truly inspirational – like our Move Urmston site. We are investing millions of pounds into this project as we believe that is the right thing to do to ensure residents can improve their health, fitness and wellbeing.”

Plans for Altrincham Leisure Centre’s new design were first circulated in 2018. While proposals are subject to further consultation and planning permission, the building is expected to close over Christmas 2022 in preparation for an 18-month period of work starting in January 2023.