Major revamp planned for city leisure centre
One of Gloucestershire's best-used leisure centres, a venue for its biggest swimming competitions and events like BBC2's Robot Wars, is about to benefit from a share of an £8 million investment.
A major revamp of Gloucester’s GL1 Leisure Centre is set to begin in September.
The comprehensive upgrade for the Bruton Way site will include a brand-new gym, an enhanced soft play area, new water play features, improved reception hub, refurbished changing rooms and state-of-the-art equipment.
These improvements aim to modernise the facility, run by Freedom Leisure, and support more people looking to enjoy a healthier, more active lifestyle in Gloucester.
The women’s only gym will also reopen next year with a fresh look, including new flooring, air conditioning and enhanced security features.
This initiative forms part of Gloucester City Council’s wider £8 million investment to strengthen leisure facilities across the city, including updating both GL1 Leisure Centre and Oxstalls Sports Park.
The project will deliver a significantly enhanced experience for residents and visitors alike, once complete in autumn 2027.
Councillor Caroline Courtney (LD, Tuffley), who is responsible for leisure at the council, said: “We know how important accessible, high-quality leisure facilities are for our residents.
“GL1 is long overdue an upgrade, it’s what our city deserves, and we are delighted that these improvements that we committed to delivering are now ready to proceed.
“This refurbishment, including the new gym, will provide a much-enhanced experience for our valued members and visitors to the Leisure Centre and create a welcoming space where people can come together, get active and support their physical and mental wellbeing”,
And Ivan Horsfall Turner, Freedom Leisure;s chief executive, said they are delighted to be working alongside the council to deliver the improvements.
“These improvements represent a major step forward for one of the city’s most important community assets,” he said.
“The planned enhancements will create a more modern, welcoming and inclusive environment with improved fitness facilities alongside exciting new attractions for families to enjoy together. This investment will help ensure GL1 continues to meet the evolving needs of the local community for many years to come.”
Councillor Stephanie Chambers (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt), who leads the Conservative opposition at North Warehouse, said her group welcomes the investment and improvements planned for GL1.
“We also want to recognise Cllr Sajid Patel for working hard to press the case for a safe space for women’s only gym facilities to be retained and refreshed after concerns were raised by residents,” she said.
“It is also vital to remember that GL1 is far more than a leisure venue. It is an important place where children learn to swim and build water safety skills, which matter enormously given the dangers of open water in seas, rivers and lakes.
“We will continue to scrutinise the council closely on timescales and timetables so that disruption is kept to an absolute minimum and the facilities are fully operational again as soon as possible.”
GL1 has already benefited from a series of recent improvements, including the installation of energy-efficient lighting, new indoor cycling bikes, and refurbishment of the pool floor.
The centre has also expanded its fitness offering with the introduction of Gravity Reformer Pilates classes, supported by specialist equipment.
The upcoming phase will build on this progress, further transforming GL1 into a modern, inclusive hub for fitness, wellbeing, and family activities.
Contractors are currently progressing detailed design work to prepare the site ahead of refurbishment works starting in September.