Plans for new Thornaby leisure centre approved

Plans have been approved for a new leisure centre in Thornaby-on-Tees, North Yorkshire.

Facilities at the new centre – the flagship project of the £23.9m Thornaby Town Deal – include a five-lane swimming pool, a health club with a large gym floor, sauna and changing facilities.

The two-storey building will sit on the former Phoenix House site and will connect into the existing Thornaby Pavilion with a link bridge.

A new entrance and car park, providing around 50 additional spaces, will also be created as well as improvements to the surrounding public realm. Enhancements will also be made to the internal layout and fitness spaces in the existing pavilion.

The centre will be operated by Tees Active Leisure and work on the building is set to begin later in 2025, with the facility opening in 2026.

It is one of a number of key projects being delivered with the support and endorsement of the Thornaby Town Deal Board. The Town Deal Board is made up of local stakeholders from key public and private sector bodies, including Thornaby Councillors and the local MPs for the area.

Councillor Nigel Cooke, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council – which will own the facility – said: “This is a really exciting time for Thornaby and these plans will only provide extra opportunities for the town centre, bringing footfall and adding to its vibrancy. It will be a massive boost for residents from the town and further afield.”