Radcliffe Leisure Centre to open for the last time tomorrow

The Spring Lane site will close for the last time on Sunday, December 10, to allow for the decommissioning of the area before being handed over to the Department for Education.

Radcliffe Leisure Centre pool (Image: Archive)

This is to make way for the new Star Academy Radcliffe which will open next September for its first intake of pupils into Year 7.

New state-of-the-art leisure facilities will be built at the Radcliffe Hub, where demolition work on existing buildings began last month.

Whilst the leisure centre is closed, there will be a programme of fitness activities delivered by regular instructors at St Philips Community Centre in Higher Dean Street, Radcliffe.

This will start on January 8.

Alternative leisure facilities are also available at Castle Leisure Centre in Bury and at Ramsbottom Pool and Fitness Centre.

Once work has been completed, the new leisure centre is expected to have two swimming pools at in the centre, a 25m, six-lane main pool and 17m x 10m learner pool.

The pools will have an integrated moveable floor designed to Sport England specification and 150 spectator seats.

The new leisure centre and school are part of the multi-million-pound plans to regenerate the town centre.

Work on the new hub has begun around the central piazza, close to the market hall, where numerous buildings are being levelled to make way for the civic hub.

The shopping plaza at 13-21 Blackburn Street and the TSB bank building are some of the structures being demolished as part of the plans.

Radcliffe Leisure Centre (Image: Archive)

The plans also include refurbishment of the Market Chambers building and the next-door Market Hall basement, for use as a multi-use event space.

Much of the money for the development has come from the award of £20m to the project from the Levelling Up fund in early 2022.