Cranleigh Leisure Centre Rebuild Still Uncertain, Warn Opposition Councillors

Published on: 17 Oct, 2026
Updated on: 17 Oct, 2026

Visual Of The New Cranleigh Leisure Centre. Waverley Borough Council

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

The potential redevelopment of Cranleigh Leisure Centre reached a “key milestone” when pre-construction agreements were signed off, but opposition councillors have warned it is still far from certain the project will be fully funded and actually happen.

On October 9, Waverley Borough Council rubber stamped a deal with Willmott Dixon to start finalising costs and construction plans before the old rundown 1969 centre can be torn down and replaced with a state-of-the-art Passivhaus design.

However, questions remain as the incoming, debt-riddled, West Surrey Executive has not committed to funding its multi-million pound rebuild.

Waverley Borough Council still says it is absolutely determined to see the project through.

Cllr Paul Follows

The leader of both Waverley Borough and West Surrey, Cllr Paul Follows (Lib Dem, Godalming South, Milford & Witley), said that any projects that are revenue generating, as Cranleigh Leisure Centre will be, will only be beneficial to West Surrey as well as the residents of both Cranleigh and Waverley at large.

As things stands, work is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with the new centre opening in autumn 2028.

Cllr Liz Townsend

Cllr Liz Townsend (Lib Dem, Cranleigh West), portfolio holder for Planning and Development, said: “We know people are eager to see work begin and appreciate the patience it has taken to get to this stage.

“Signing the [agreement] is a key milestone. It allows us to work closely with our contractor to get every detail right before construction starts.”

She added: “This is a major investment in Cranleigh’s future, and it’s vital that we take the time now to deliver a high-quality, energy-efficient facility that will serve the community for decades to come.

“We are absolutely committed to seeing this project through.”

The new leisure centre is expected to generate income for the council, in stark contrast to the loss-making facility it seeks to replace.

The council has tried to address parking concerns raised by residents and nearby business and confirmed the developer will provide a minimum of 100 spaces in Village Way car park throughout the construction period.

Plans are being worked on to increase this further but the council said the two main town car park’s Village Way and Stocklund Square operate at around 50 per cent capacity on average, meaning spaces are often available.

Cllr Townsend added: “This doesn’t mean parking won’t be challenging during construction of the new leisure centre – there will be times when demand is high, usually on market days and Saturday mornings.”

Cllr Jane Austin

The leader of the opposition at Waverley and West Surrey Council, Cllr Jane Austin (Con, Waverley Eastern Villages), said she welcomed the progress towards Cranleigh’s long-awaited new leisure centre but remained deeply concerned about whether this project will actually be delivered.

She said: “The budget has risen from £20 million in 2019 to £36 million today, and we are still only at the pre-construction stage.

“With Waverley Borough Council disappearing in less than six months and West Surrey taking over responsibility for the project, our fundamental question remains unanswered: will the new West Surrey authority, which will be under huge budgetary pressure, actually commit to the £36 million scheme?

“The West Surrey Executive would not make that commitment at last month’s full council when I explicitly asked.”