In July 2025, the doors of Clay Cross Active, a revolutionary new leisure and wellbeing hub, opened for the first time in Derbyshire. The £26.3m project acts as a blueprint for local authorities wishing to embrace the co-location of health, social, and wellbeing services, and is set to transform the lives of the local community it has been tailored to serve.
Background
The need for Clay Cross Active arose from a combination of health, social, economic and infrastructure challenges facing the town of Clay Cross in North East Derbyshire. The previous leisure centre, Sharley Park Leisure Centre, built in the 1970s, was in poor structural condition, inaccessible for many residents, and offered an outdated, poorly connected mix of activities. It required heavy council subsidies and did not meet modern accessibility or community needs.
Clay Cross, a former coal-mining town, faces significant deprivation, poor health outcomes, high obesity rates and low physical activity levels. Some of the key statistics ushering the need for change included:
- Around 1 in 5 residents had a long-term health condition or disability
- Almost a third of residents were economically inactive
- Both younger and older populations experienced social isolation, low confidence and limited life opportunities
- Inactivity rates were high, with almost 29 per cent of residents inactive
- Childhood obesity levels increased significantly between Reception and Year 6.
Community consultation involving over 850 residents (users and non-users) showed strong demand for a modern, accessible facility that integrates physical activity with wider health, wellbeing and social services. Residents identified the improvement or replacement of the leisure centre a as top priority, alongside better facilities for young people, enhanced green spaces and improved connectivity. Barriers such as cost, lack of awareness and accessibility needed addressing to encourage participation.
“The development is a key part of an on going £32m investment in leisure facilities across the district and also the Clay Cross Town Investment Plan, which will drive regeneration and community wellbeing across the area. Through co-locating leisure and community wellness services we aim to make it as easy as possible for people to access and benefit a wider range of facilities and services than they may otherwise engage with. The facilities look absolutely amazing and have been designed and built with sustainability and longevity in mind. This new addition to the community in Clay Cross will benefit many generations of residents.”
Cllr Kathy Rouse, Cabinet Member for Leisure, North East Derbyshire District Council
The Facility
The new Clay Cross Active integrates sports facilities with health services, social support, and informal recreation in Sharley Park. This co-location aims to encourage behaviour change, tackle health inequalities, improve mental health and foster social interaction. The hub will also be a central point for outreach programmes like Public Health Physical Activity provision and Live Life Better Derbyshire, targeting inactive residents and those with long-term conditions.
Specifically, facilities include a 100-station gym, immersive group cycling studio, four court sports hall in addition to a 25m swimming pool with six lanes, plus a learner pool with spectator seating. Designed with accessibility in mind, the changing village is supported by a Changing Places facility.
A wellness suite featuring a 10-station Innerva power-assisted equipment circuit caters for people of all fitness levels, particularly older adults, those who are less mobile, suffering from illness or who are undergoing rehabilitation.
Other facilities include soft play, a TAGactive indoor adventure play area, a treatment room, a multi-purpose room for community activities and a café with a viewing gallery for the swimming pool.
Outside, the large park has been enhanced with new social areas, improved play equipment and a full size 3G floodlit pitch.
“We’re proud to have been a pivotal partner in the development of the Clay Cross Active Leisure Centre, investing £2.5m into the project but also providing strategic advice; supporting the design, construction and development of the facility; and being a key partner on the Clay Cross Town Board.
“Together, we have created a destination hub where local residents can access a range of sport and physical activity facilities, as well as health and wellbeing support services, such as Citizens Advice Services and clinical treatment rooms.
“Clay Cross Active is helping us deliver on our Uniting the Movement strategy to transform lives and communities in England by enabling more people to reap the benefits of being physically active.”Kevin Mills, Director, Place Development, Sport England
Clay Cross Active sets a precedent for the colocation of health and wellbeing services through its embedded community facilities.
Citizens Advice North East Derbyshire is based in Clay Cross Active meaning that the district’s admin and front facing services will be together within one building. The centre provides daily drop-in advice sessions, plus pre-booked appointments for clients.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital’s Community Midwifery Team are now based at Clay Cross Active. This team of Midwives provides antenatal and postnatal care to Women and their families. The consists of Midwives, Midwifery Assistants and Administrative Staff and the new base provides up to date facilities and easier access for the community.
The creation of the facility was not without its challenges. The £26.3m project faced an astronomical challenge in the form of the collapse of construction giant ISG, the main contractor on the project, partway through building. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Alliance Leisure, North East Derbyshire District Council’s appointed development partner, however, the finished project successfully completed with only a 1 per cent uplift in budget.
“Delivering a brand-new community hub was always going to have its challenges, but when the main contractor suddenly went into administration halfway through the build, it could have meant the end of this scheme. It’s thanks to the dedication of our team, the strong collaboration between our partners and the flexibility of the UK Leisure Framework, managed by Denbighshire Leisure Limited (DLL), that we were able to act quickly, onboard a new contractor and deliver this transformational project for North East Derbyshire.”
Will Gardner, Business Development Manager, Alliance Leisure
Looking to the future
Strategically, Clay Cross Active is central to the Clay Cross Towns Fund regeneration plan, aligning with priorities for town centre revitalisation, improved connectivity, skills development, health and wellbeing and clean growth. The £24.1m Town Fund award included £7m for the Hub, including £1m for low-carbon technologies, aiming for near-zero operational carbon emissions. Additionally, the development team were able to achieve a 40 per cent saving on embodied carbon due to the retention of the pre-existing sports hall frame, demonstrating how sustainable practice can effectively be incorporated into the construction process itself.
The impact of the centre has exceeded expectations thus far. Within the first month of opening, the centre’s memberships surpassed the numbers that were anticipated to be reached in Year 5. Additionally, the café’s revenue was a huge £26,000, where no café provision or income existed previously. Customer comments are equally positive:
“Love the wellness suite, as arthritis has made it difficult in the gym.”
“Absolutely brilliant! Really up to date and inclusive.”
“Everything is nice and new… the gym is modern and very nice.”
Clay Cross Active addresses urgent facility replacement needs while delivering long-term health, social and economic benefits. It connects people to opportunities; improving individuals’ prospects, reducing council subsidy requirements and strengthening community pride, making it a cornerstone of Clay Cross’s regeneration.
“The successful delivery of Clay Cross Active is a testament to the strong, ongoing partnership between Alliance Leisure and GT3 Architects. Through thoughtful design and genuine collaboration, we’ve created a space that goes beyond expectations—removing barriers and responding directly to the needs of the local community.”
David Richardson, Associate, GT3 Architects