Leisure Centre
Changing Village

The Brief

It was announced to the public in December 2022 that the Arun Leisure Centre wet changing rooms were to be completely renovated, with work to be completed by summer 2023.

The brief was to completely refurbish the male and female wet change into a modern village changing area to modernise and make best use of the space.

The upgrade was to include changing cubicles ranging in size for individuals to families, improvements to accessibility throughout, and updated toilet facilities, shower area and poolside changing rooms. Opportunities to retrofit for energy savings were also to be considered within the budget.

Project Delivery

Work was procured via Hampshire County Council’s Framework and began in January 2023.

The existing separate male and female changing rooms were very dated, having not been touched since initial build 20+ years ago. The project delivery included:

• Removal of the central wall to create the village area
• Replacement of floors and walls
• A new ceiling to improve atmosphere control and energy saving
• New lockers, cubicles, showers and standard toilets
• Improved accessibility including a ‘Changing Places Toilet’, height adjustable bed, adjustable sink, accessible shower and ceiling hoist

As the project ran smoothly, a budget provision was released to install 118 PV panels across the entire south-facing roof elevation.

The Outcomes

Working closely with the contractor meant that the project ran so smoothly that we were able to open the changing rooms to the public ahead of schedule, in June 2023.

The official opening ceremony happened as planned in August 2023.

Speaking at the time, Councillor Carol Birch, Chair of the Housing and Wellbeing Committee at Arun District Council, said:

“It is fantastic to see the new changing rooms completed and open to the public. We were very pleased to be able to include a Changing Places toilet, which will make the popular leisure centre accessible for all. I’m also delighted that the improvements include a raft of energy efficiency improvements as part of our commitment to tackling climate change.”