Council okays £14.6m in big leisure revamp

Multi-million pound plans to revamp Slough’s Absolutely Ten Pin bowling centre and Langley Leisure Centre were approved at a council meeting on Monday, December 19.

The £6.6m plans for Salt Hill Park’s Absolutely Ten Pin centre include a giant scalextric-style racing zone in the centre, surrounded by a 360 degree cafe zone.

Surrounding the cafe will be a variety of activity zones including a video games area with giant screens, a ski simulator, bowling alleys and an indoor caving facility.

Work on the site, is expected to start in June next year and re-open in its new form in March 2018.

At the meeting Cllr Joginder Bal (Lab, Farnham), commissioner for environment and leisure, said the plans will save the council money.

The bowling centre is currently managed by Slough Community Leisure, whose contract to run the facility expires in March.

The centre will then be run by a different provider once a bid has been accepted by the council.

Cllr Bal said SBC will not have to pay the centre’s new leisure providers the yearly £600,000 in management fees and business rates it has to fork out to SCL.

Instead, the new providers will be required to pay any running and repair costs.

The £8m plans for Langley Leisure centre include replacing old equipment, doubling the gym’s capacity, building two activity studios and repairing the main pool.

Cllr Rob Anderson, (Lab, Britwell and Northborough) questioned the £8m price tag on Langley Leisure Centre’s refurbishment when it cost £2m to build.

He said at the meeting: “You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs.

“But whether those eggs are nicely shelved and left on the counter or smashed on the floor is a different matter.”

Concerns were also raised that too many of the borough’s leisure facilities will be closed at the same time, with Absolutely Ice already closed for refurbishment.

But council leader, Cllr Sohail Munawar (Lab, Elliman) described the renovation period as ‘short term pain for long term gain.’

Council officers added it is considering a ‘phased approach’ for the refurbishment of Langley Leisure Centre.