Places Leisure awarded ten-year contract by Kingston Council
Millions of pounds are to be invested in leisure facilities across Kingston as Places Leisure is awarded a new ten-year contract.
The new contract will focus on supporting healthy and active lives for all in Kingston. This includes initiatives such as the Active Communities Programme, which takes health and wellbeing activities into local communities, helping to engage more people in active lifestyles and reduce health inequalities.
As part of the new agreement, Places Leisure will deliver a programme of investment to upgrade facilities across all sites, as well as undertaking vital maintenance and ongoing monitoring. They will also be introducing energy saving projects that help to reduce the carbon output of sports and leisure facilities which, alongside the Council’s recently approved programme to improve existing buildings, will support the council's carbon reduction goals.
In an exciting change Chessington Sports Centre and Albany Outdoors will now be included under the same contract and benefit from the expertise of an experienced leisure operator for the first time. This will bring consistent service standards, improved operational management, and enhanced customer experience across both sites. The contract also includes the continued operation of the borough’s three existing council-owned leisure facilities already managed by Places Leisure, the Malden Centre, Tolworth Recreation Centre and Weir Archer Athletics and Fitness Centre, and the new Kingston Leisure Centre will also be added once open in spring 2027.
Dan Walker, Business Development Director at Places Leisure, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to operate and manage key leisure sites across Kingston. Having witnessed the powerful impact these centres have on promoting healthier, more active lives, we’re proud to continue supporting the local community.
“Alongside Kingston Council, we are excited to present our investment plans which we believe will transform the services for residents. This investment will deliver upgrades across the sites and introduce exciting new developments that will enrich the community experience and foster long-term wellbeing."
Councillor Alison Holt, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Leisure, said: “The health and wellbeing of our residents is incredibly important and is at the heart of our Active Kingston Framework.
“We are thrilled to partner with Places Leisure to manage our leisure centres, and with a new contract in place we can make improvements to the existing services and facilities on offer, work to achieve our sustainability goals, and encourage more people to benefit from the spaces available across the borough that can help them thrive.
“We will continue to ensure that the services delivered are meeting the diverse needs of our residents as we help all in our communities live their happiest and healthiest lives.
This new contract aims to build on the great work ongoing throughout the borough to increase physical activity, as highlighted in Sport England’s recently published Active Lives Adult Survey Report. The report states that the borough is among one of the top-performing areas in the country, with an 11.4% increase in activity levels since 2015–16, which is one of the largest gains recorded nationally.