CGI of Cranleigh Leisure Centre. Credit: Waverley Borough Council
Willmott Dixon has signed a preconstruction services agreement (PCSA) with Waverley Borough Council for a £31m Passivhaus leisure centre in Surrey.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with the facility scheduled to open in autumn 2028.
Under the PCSA, Willmott Dixon will work with the council and project partners to finalise the design, construction programme and delivery approach before work starts on site.
The project was originally expected to start construction in autumn 2025, after securing planning permission in March that year.
The contractor was only named the preferred bidder for Cranleigh Leisure Centre in December 2025, after the council revised its construction timetable.
Waverley Borough Council delayed the construction start date to summer 2026, citing planning conditions and changes in market conditions that prompted a review of the scheme.
The opening date was also pushed back from spring 2027 to winter 2027, before being revised again to autumn 2028.
The council approved a revised capital budget of about £31m for the development in October 2023. Plans for a replacement leisure centre were first considered in 2018 but were put on hold during the Covid pandemic.
Designed by architect GT3, the facility will include a six-lane, 25-metre swimming pool, gym, soft play area and cafe.
The existing 55-year-old leisure centre will be demolished once its replacement is complete.
The new building is being designed to Passivhaus standards and is expected to use around 60 per cent less operational energy than a typical leisure centre, according to Willmott Dixon.
The council previously estimated that the facility would use 60 per cent less energy per square metre than the existing centre, with annual operational carbon emissions reduced by 75 per cent.
Willmott Dixon will work alongside leisure operator Everyone Active during the preconstruction phase to refine the scheme.
The team will also develop construction logistics plans, including arrangements to minimise disruption and maintain access and parking during the works, the contractor said.
Source: Willmott Dixon announcement
