Willmott Dixon signs pre-construction deal for Passivhaus Cranleigh Leisure Centre

Willmott Dixon has signed a pre-construction services agreement with Waverley Borough Council for the new Cranleigh Leisure Centre in Surrey, with work due to start on site in early 2027 and the building expected to open in autumn 2028.

The contractor announced the agreement on 16 October. It follows the council's selection of Willmott Dixon as preferred bidder, announced on 3 December 2025.

Willmott Dixon said the pre-construction phase would be used to finalise the design, programme and construction approach, working with the council, project partners and operator Everyone Active, which manages Waverley's four leisure centres. The team will also plan construction logistics to keep access and parking available throughout the build.

Richard Poulter, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in the South, said the company was "delighted to be taking the next step in delivering a new leisure centre for Cranleigh".

GT3 has been appointed as architect. Marta Subh Lopez, Director at GT3, said reaching the milestone brought the team a step closer to creating a welcoming leisure centre for Cranleigh.

The programme

The dates in Willmott Dixon's release are later than those the council has published since the scheme was approved.

Council announcement	Site start	Opening
November 2024	Summer 2025	End of 2026 or early 2027
March 2025 (planning approval)	Autumn 2025	Spring 2027
December 2025 (preferred bidder)	Summer 2026	Winter 2027
Willmott Dixon, October 2026	Early 2027	Autumn 2028

The council said in December 2025 that the earlier change to the programme followed planning conditions that took time to resolve and a significant change in market conditions, which prompted a review of the project.

The budget

Councillors approved the original £31.1m budget in 2023, according to the council. On 4 March 2026 the council announced a revised budget of £35,999,544, after an additional £4,862,292 was approved at the council meeting on 3 March.

The council said rising costs for materials and services accounted for most of the increase, with the retention of parking in Village Way to support the town centre also adding to the cost. Parking in the final design was increased from 235 spaces in the initial proposal to 300.

Part of the increase is covered by £2,651,900 of secured Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding for the leisure centre, parking and additional EV charging. The balance will be borrowed, with a projected payback period of 52 years, the council said.

The council projects the new centre will generate about £450,000 a year in management fees from year three. The existing centre, built in 1969, currently runs at an annual £26,000 deficit for the council and will be demolished once the new building is complete.

Passivhaus performance

Willmott Dixon said the Passivhaus-designed centre is expected to cut operational energy demand by about 60% compared with a typical leisure centre. The council frames the saving differently. Councillor Liz Townsend, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development at Waverley Borough Council, said in March 2026: "The new centre will use around 60% less energy per square metre than the current building". She said the council expected it to cut annual carbon emissions by about 75%.

At planning approval in March 2025 the council said the building was expected to be only the fourth leisure centre in the UK to achieve Passivhaus accreditation. The scheme supports the council's commitment to become a carbon neutral council by 2030.

GT3 and Willmott Dixon previously delivered Eclipse Leisure Centre in Spelthorne, which GT3 describes as the first 50/50 wet and dry leisure centre in the UK designed to Passivhaus standards, with an expected saving of up to 60% in typical operational energy usage. Paul Reed, Director at GT3 Architects, said when the Cranleigh design was unveiled in November 2024 that designing and building to Passivhaus standards is very challenging, particularly for a leisure centre.

Background

A council feasibility study in 2021 identified the need to update the existing centre. Public consultation drew more than 800 online survey responses and more than 200 people at two engagement sessions, and Waverley's Planning Committee unanimously approved the application in March 2025.

The design uses red brick on the upper part of the building and timber below. The council said the centre will include pool pods to help swimmers with mobility needs get in and out of the pool.

Willmott Dixon said the pre-construction phase would run over the coming months, ahead of the early 2027 site start.