A leisure centre’s gym is to get a £2 million upgrade, with plans to install spin machines and padel courts.
Crawley’s K2 leisure centre is also set to have more than 1,000 solar panels installed on car ports in sections of the car park.
The solar panels are being paid for with £816,500 of funding from Sport England’s Swimming Pool Support Fund and £250,000 from the council.
A spokesman said they will be used to help with the ongoing rise in energy costs, as well as providing lighting improvements in the pool hall and other areas.
Work to install the car ports and 1,002 panels starts on Friday (December 13) and is expected to take several months to complete.
Chris Mullins, cabinet member for leisure and wellbeing, said: “We are really proud to provide a swimming pool for a diverse group of people including babies, families, older residents and users with disabilities.
“The rising cost of utilities has presented many challenges, putting pressure on the day-to-day running costs. I am therefore delighted at the awarding of this funding which will help ease the pressures for a highly valued centre that plays a vital role in supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of the people of Crawley.”
In November, the council agreed to extend the leisure management contract with Everyone Active – which runs the centre – from November 14 2028 to November 13 2033.
During a meeting of the full council on Wednesday (December 11), it was agreed that an estimated £2m of capital funding should be contributed to Everyone Active to allow K2’s health and fitness facilities to be remodelled.
It’s still early days, but the plan includes extending the gym to take over the old nursery area, and opening areas for spin classes and padel tennis.
Michael Jones, leader of the council, said the authority had a “moral duty to stay relevant in providing what people actually want”.
He added: “The £2m is a massive investment that will keep K2 a world-beating leisure centre and a leader in its field and continue Crawley’s proud heritage of sporting achievement and activity.”
