£1.1m upgrade announced for The Brentwood Centre swimming pools and changing facilities

A £1.1 million project to upgrade the swimming pools and changing facilities at The Brentwood Centre will begin in January 2026.

The investment by Brentwood Borough Council, approved in September 2025 and delivered by Everyone Active, will see the pools and changing areas transformed to provide modern, high-quality facilities for local residents.

The Brentwood Centre features two swimming pools: a 25-metre, six-lane main pool and a smaller teaching pool, used for lessons, clubs and community sessions.

The 20-week project will include a complete refurbishment of the pool changing village – with new flooring, fixtures and fittings throughout – as well as improvements to the pool surrounds, tiling and ceilings across both pools.

To allow the refurbishment to take place, the changing village will close in early January for the duration of the project. Temporary changing facilities will be available throughout, ensuring customers are not left without access to changing areas.

The teaching pool is expected to close from Monday 26 January for around eight weeks, before reopening when the main pool closes in late March for approximately nine weeks.

This phased approach means at least one pool will remain open at all times. All areas are due to reopen by late May 2026.

The Brentwood Centre, which first opened its doors in the early 1980s, is one of the borough’s best-known community facilities. It welcomes more than 450,000 visitors each year, offering a wide range of activities including swimming, fitness classes, gym sessions, events and live entertainment.

Councillor Gareth Barrett, Brentwood Borough Council’s Chair of Assets, Projects and Strategy Committee, said: “The swimming and changing facilities at the Brentwood Centre are ageing but well used and valued by those who use them week in and week out.

“This further significant investment supports our ambitions for the Brentwood Centre to be a modern and inclusive facility that delivers a variety of services our residents deserve.”

Dan Humphries, Area Contract Manager at Everyone Active, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Brentwood Borough Council on this significant investment, which will transform the swimming and changing facilities for our customers.

“The project has been carefully planned so that local residents continue to have access to swimming throughout, and once complete, the upgraded facilities will provide a much-improved environment for the whole community to enjoy for years to come.”

At least one pool at the Brentwood Centre will remain open throughout the works, and swimmers will also have the option to use other Everyone Active pools too.