Agreement reached on £14m Ingleby Barwick leisure centre

Plans have been in the pipeline for a number of years for a new leisure centre at All Saints Academy in Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton.

The multi-million pound centre will feature a swimming pool, gym, library, café and pedestrian plaza and there will also exercise studios which can be used to host a variety of classes.

Back in June, the future of the project was thrown into doubt when the Department for Education (DfE) refused to sign off the final transfer of land from the school to Stockton Borough Council, putting the whole development at risk.

But an agreement to resume the work and complete the transfer of land ownership has now been reached, and the new facility is now scheduled to open in summer 2019.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen met with Education Minister Lord Agnew to make the case for the new centre and stressed its importance to the local community.

Mr Houchen said: “It was touch and go, but I am pleased to have got this exciting project back on track.

"Stockton Borough Council, All Saints Academy, the Government and the Diocese can all be proud of how they have all worked together to deliver an excellent facility for the people of Ingleby Barwick.

“I grew up in Ingleby and my parents still live there, so I know just how much this new facility will mean to people.

"We have waited for years for such a centre on our doorstep, which will make a big difference to people who currently have to travel elsewhere to access leisure centres, and especially those who can’t easily travel so far.”

A spokesperson for Stockton Council added: “We completed the diversion of the underground utilities services earlier this year and have just been waiting on that DfE sign-off so we can get cracking.

“The construction of a new on site car park starts in the first week of October which will then pave the way for the leisure centre itself to be built on the existing academy car park.”