A leisure centre’s £8 million transformation four years in the making is finally complete, with bosses celebrating the reopening of the popular venue.

For the last 18 months, the Kingsmead Leisure Centre in Canterbury has been undergoing a major rebuilding project, led by operators Active Life.

Now rebranded Kingsmead Pools & Fitness, the facility boasts a brand-new gym, fitness studios, a health suite, changing facilities throughout, an extensively improved swimming pool and a sports hall while a café is also coming soon.

Though parts of the site have remained open throughout, its rebirth was officially commemorated last week with leading faces in Canterbury coming together to mark the occasion.

Chief executive of Active Life, Anthony Cawley, said: “We have invested £8m in transforming the centre, and we’re delighted to be able to celebrate the opening after months of hard work.

“I think it is fair to say that Kingsmead is unrecognisable compared to what it was before.

“As a charity we always ask ourselves how we can best benefit the communities we serve and that’s what’s driven this project from the start, working closely with Canterbury City Council to do that.

“What we want to encourage and enable is a truly community-first centre, that’s welcoming and relevant, no matter what your fitness starting point is.”

Unveiling a commemorative plaque at the event on October 11, Lord Mayor of Canterbury Cllr Jean Butcher said: “Canterbury’s most long-standing leisure facility has been reborn, setting the standard for modern leisure facilities that will help meet the city council’s ambitions to increase levels of sport participation and physical activity, and support residents in improving their health and wellbeing.

“That starts with providing the right environment, but in many ways these new facilities being launched today are just the start. The team at Active Life have exciting plans to take Kingsmead to the community.”

Initial work on the development began in 2020, with the project budgeted to cost £10.5m, but the plans were brought to a halt when the Covid pandemic struck.

However, the scheme was back on the table after £2.2m in savings were made, as Active Life’s parent company Fusion Lifestyle ditched its plan to build a new sports hall on stilts.

Designers have installed measures to minimise the centre’s impact on the environment, reducing energy use at the complex by about a quarter.

Gas boilers have been replaced with air source heat pumps and underfloor heating in the wet changing area has been installed, thanks to a grant awarded to CCC by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

There is also energy-efficient LED lighting throughout the building, plus 18 solar panels and electric vehicle charging points in the car park.

The newly-revamped centre currently has a ‘soft opening’ period for existing members and casual members for some activities.