Plans revealed for £19m leisure centre in Tonbridge

Proposals have been revealed to replace an ageing leisure centre in Tonbridge, Kent, with a new £19m facility.

Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) plans to replace The Angel Centre, which first opened to the public in 1981, with a new, more environmentally-friendly venue.

Facilities at the proposed centre are set to include a large health club with a gym floor, an immersive indoor cycling studio, multi-purpose exercise studios, a sports hall with four racket courts and a wellbeing suite featuring power-assisted exercise machines.

Plans also include a café and a soft play area with party space.

Environmental sustainability will feature heavily in the designs and the council has set a target of achieving a BREEAM rating of Excellent for the building.

The design plans were shaped by feedback received from a public survey in Summer 2025, which asked residents and users of the existing Angel Centre what was valued most in a new, modern facility.

Subject to planning permission and council approval in October, the new centre is scheduled to open its doors in 2028.

The new Angel Centre will be run by tmactive (Tonbridge and Malling Leisure Trust), the council’s leisure trust partner which operates the existing Angel Centre, alongside other sports and leisure facilities in the borough. The cost of the new centre will be funded by a combination of council reserves, borrowing and a contribution from tmactive.