Temple Project update: Transform Kingston – new leisure and community building

Temple are the Planning and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultants advising Kingston Council to help deliver their ambitions for the Transform Kingston project. The project focus is on the regeneration of chosen sites in Kingston Town Centre.

We are delighted to announce that we have reached the first milestone of the project and on behalf of our client (Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Property Development and Investment) we have submitted an application for Planning and Listed Building Consent for a new leisure and community building on the site of the former vacant Kingfisher Leisure Centre. The Proposed Development includes the following facilities:

• Wet facilities including 25m swimming pool, training pool and toddler pool;
• Sauna and steam room
• Café
• Indoor soft play area
• Indoor sports facilities including fitness studios, spin studio, gym, sports hall, squash courts and a Clip and Climb wall
• External sports facilities including rooftop artificial sports pitch and gym activities terrace
• Communal roof terrace

Temple has worked collaboratively alongside Faulkner Browns Architects, Alan Baxter, Stace, Cundall, and Pre-Construct Archaeology to achieve a proposal that maximises optimisation of the site. Another key aspect was delivering an uplift in community and leisure facilities in a sustainable and accessible town centre location. The high-quality design of the building seeks to respond positively to the site’s location in a Conservation Area setting and in proximity to the retained Grade II Listed Kingston Library and Museum building. The Proposed Development will be accessible to all and significantly improve the existing landscape and public spaces on the site. In addition, a new sensitive extension to the Library and Museum building will enable its continued optimal use.

Alongside Planning and EIA, Temple ecology and arboriculture services were also instructed to deliver supporting documents to accompany the planning application.

The planning application is pending a decision and will be heard by the planning committee later this year.

“Our vision is to revitalise our historic town centre and celebrate its rich heritage to make it better for our residents, local businesses, students and visitors. This will help to diversify our local economy beyond retail and ignite vibrant leisure and cultural scene.” – Kingston Council

“We are proposing to deliver a community leisure facility on the site of the Kingfisher Leisure Centre, which is accessible for all residents, offers a range of facilities that benefit everyone and is built to last.” – Kingston Council

For more information visit: https://transformkingston.co.uk/