Construction starts on Halifax’s North Bridge Leisure Centre

The £12m project is being delivered by Tilbury Douglas with the contractor making a start on the foundations for the gym and swimming pool complex.

Preparatory works started on site in September, including site surveys and the partial demolition of the old North Bridge Leisure Centre.

An 81-tonne construction piling rig is now on site, ready to drill more than 300 pile foundations up to 13 metres into the ground.

The centre was designed by AEW Architects and will include a six-lane swimming pool with spectator seating, a learner pool, a refurbished eight-court sports hall, a 120-station fitness suite, three multi-functional studios, a dedicated cycling studio, a children’s soft play and adventure area, and a café and community area.

There will also be wellbeing spaces, where health and community partners can locate their services, and the new changing rooms will consist of wet, dry, and disabled spaces.

Shelagh O’Neill, Calderdale Council’s director for regeneration and strategy, said: “The start of construction is a significant step forward for the Halifax Leisure Centre project, which is on track to deliver top-class sports, health and wellbeing facilities for all of Calderdale’s diverse communities in 2028.

“Teams have been busy finalising the detailed designs and doing lots of complex preparation work on site to reach this point, and creating the foundations is a vital first step in the actual construction.”

William Kay, regional director – Yorkshire and the North East at Tilbury Douglas, commented: “Working in partnership with Calderdale Council, we are committed to delivering a high-quality, modern facility that will support health, wellbeing, and community use for years to come. We look forward to seeing the project take shape over the coming months.”