North Herts Council is investing £16.4 million – including a £7.74 million government grant – to upgrade our leisure centres in Hitchin, Letchworth and Royston.

 This council-led project will significantly reduce carbon emissions by replacing gas boilers with air source heat pumps, installing solar panels, upgrading insulation, glazing and air handling systems and introducing energy-efficient technologies across all buildings.

The leisure experience will be, according to the council, "improved for everyone", with new features such as upgraded changing facilities, gym refurbishments, including a gym extension at Royston, and a brand-new flume at Letchworth.

 A contract to deliver the works was awarded earlier this year to Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd, with works planned to start in July and finishing in Spring 2026.

Due to the scale of the works some temporary closures are unavoidable, however the council "are working closely with our leisure operator partner, Everyone Active, to minimise disruption and make sure you can stay active throughout the works" by:

•          Extending the opening seasons at Hitchin and Letchworth Lidos to maximise swimming opportunities

•          Providing access to all Everyone Active leisure centres for our swim and fitness members. Please note, this does not apply to casual or pay-as-you-go customers

•          Posting clear, regular updates via signage, email, social media and websites

•          Reducing or pausing member direct debits during closure periods, and automatically extending annual memberships to reflect any lost time

What's happening and when?

Hitchin Swimming & Fitness Centre

Start date: 1 October 2025 / Finish date: May 2026

Improvements and refurbishments include:

•         Refurbishment and upgrades to changing rooms and health suite

Temporary closures include:

•          Restricted opening hours at the Main pool 29 September – 9 March (23 weeks)

• Normal opening hours at the weekend
• Open Monday to Friday from 4pm until close

•          Teaching pool: 29 September – 15 December (11 weeks)

•          Gym: 13 October – 8 December (8 weeks)

• A temporary gym facility will be available during this time

•          Changing rooms & health suite: 16 October – 5 December (7 weeks)

•          Studios (to close one at a time): 22 September – 29 September 2025 (1 week)

•          Full centre closure: 9 – 16 February 2026 (1 week)

Cllr Amy Allen, Executive Member for Environment at North Herts Council, said: "We know how much our leisure centres mean to people, and we really appreciate everyone's patience while these improvements take place. As a regular centre user myself, I understand just how important these spaces are for staying active, connected, and well. This isn't just about reducing carbon emissions – it's about giving our communities better, greener places to stay active and healthy. I think residents will be genuinely excited by the changes once they see what's coming"

Mark Leahy, Regional Contract Manager at Everyone Active, said: "This ambitious project represents a real commitment to the future of local leisure, and we're proud to support North Herts Council in bringing these upgrades to life.

"By taking this opportunity to enhance customer-facing areas as well as improve energy efficiency, the council is making a smart, future-focused investment that benefits residents now and in the long term.

"We really appreciate our customers' patience during this period and are focused on keeping people active throughout the construction work."

This is a North Herts Council project, funded by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme and our own capital investment. We're proud to be creating more sustainable, high-quality leisure facilities for the future.

For full details, closure timelines and FAQs, visit:

[www.everyoneactive.com/DecarbNorthHerts/]www.everyoneactive.com/DecarbNorthHerts/

For more information about the project, visit:

https://www.north-herts.gov.uk/leisureupgrades