Sports and leisure centres
New Epping Leisure Centre
Work is progressing for the exciting development of the new Epping Leisure Centre. The centre will be located in Bakers Lane and replace the existing Epping Sports Centre in Hemnall Street, and forms one part of a wider development project for the town.
Energy efficient
Epping Leisure Centre will become the newest and most energy efficient in the district, supporting the council’s aim to become carbon neutral by 2030. As well as air-sourced heat pumps and digital technology, the centre will incorporate the highest levels of insulation into construction, keeping future energy bills and carbon emissions as low as possible.
Epping Leisure Centre facilities will include:
- A main swimming pool
- A learner pool
- Sports hall
- Health and fitness gym
- Studios
Partnerships and opportunities
Epping Leisure Centre will be delivered by Epping Forest District Council in partnership with Places Leisure. Pellikaan Construction Ltd is carrying out the construction work.
Places Leisure manages all the district’s leisure centres on behalf of the council. Residents may be familiar with Pellikaan Construction Ltd, as it is the same company that successfully built the Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre in 2017.
New Epping Leisure Centre updates
Progress update and updated time-lapse footage
June 2024
Pellikaan have now completed the reduced dig exercise as well as installing all the foundation piles for both the main swimming pool and the learner pool. This now allows the start of the construction of the building structure.
Over the coming 2 to 3 months, Pellikaan will be casting the concrete for all the basement floor slabs, retaining walls and the concrete shells that will form both swimming pools.
Since our April 2024 timelapse footage update, Pellikaan have added a second camera to provide an additional perspective on the build.
Pellikaan receives an Excellent Considerate Constructors Scheme rating for the project
May 2024
Pellikaan have registered the Epping Leisure Centre project with the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CSS) and had their first site inspection in March. The CCS aims to raise standards within the construction industry and sites are monitored against a code of considerate practice, designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements.
We are pleased to let you know that Pellikaan have received an Excellent rating for the Epping Leisure Centre site, scoring 14 out of 15 in each of the categories for:
- Respect the community
- Care for the environment
- Value their workforce
For further information about the scheme please visit www.ccscheme.org.uk.
Time-lapse footage of the works so far
April 2024
Pellikaan has set up a time-lapse camera on site to record the complete construction of the new leisure centre. You can see how much has changed in a short space of time.
Pellikaan has excavated a significant amount of the existing ground in what will become the sports hall and squash courts in the basement level of the new leisure centre. To the east side of the site, Pellikaan has shaped up the ground where the swimming pools will be situated. The next step is install the concrete foundation piles to support these structures.
Time capsule buried
March 2024
Children from Epping Primary School joined district councillors and representatives from Places Leisure and Pellikaan Construction, on Wednesday 6 March to mark the beginning of construction of the new leisure centre in Epping.
Silent piling
February 2024
Pellikaan took formal possession of the site on 22 January 2024 and have established their site set up, commenced with the reduced dig exercise and sheet piling works. The next stage of the works is for Pellikaan to continue with the reduced dig exercise and complete the sheet piling installation.
Typically, sheet piles are installed using a driven method which are noisy and can create a lot of vibration. Considering where the site is situated and any potential disruption to the surrounding neighbourhood, Pellikaan have chosen a method called the Giken Silent Press which installs the sheet piles with almost no vibration and limited noise.
Epping time capsule at new leisure centre
January 2024
Students at Epping Primary School gathered on Thursday 18 January for a special assembly to learn about and contribute to the creation of a time capsule that is to buried under the new Epping Leisure Centre.
During the assembly, Councillor Holly Whitbread, a former student at Epping Primary School and ward councillor, shared her enthusiasm for the new Epping Leisure Centre, which is being constructed on the former Bakers Lane car park site.
Contractor on site
January 2024
The Bakers Lane car park closed on Tuesday 14 November 2023 to carry out necessary facilitating works for the project. This included securing the car park, site clearance, and site investigation surveys and testing.
The contractor, Pellikaan, will take formal possession of the site on Monday 22 January 2024, where they will start preparing the site for the upcoming works and installing the site set up such as security fencing, welfare facilities and the strip out of some of the existing foliage. Once this has been completed, Pellikaan will commence with the piling works before carrying out the excavation of the basement and swimming pools.
Work starts soon on new leisure centre
October 2023
Contractors are expected to be on site shortly after the Bakers Lane car park closes to start site preparation and survey works for the new leisure centre.
Bakers Lane car park closes from midnight on Tuesday 14 November 2023. The new Epping Leisure Centre is estimated to open in 2025.
Planning application granted
October 2021
The planning application for the new Epping Leisure Centre was granted at the District Development Management Committee meeting on 27 October 2021. It was 1 of 5 planning applications agreed as part of the redevelopment scheme for Epping.