The new Larkhall Leisure Centre is set to clear its final hurdle next week, as the full business case for the £27.8 million project goes before South Lanarkshire councillors. Once approved, this will be the last major sign-off needed before main building work can begin in full in the coming months.
Project Details and Facilities
On Wednesday, councillors will be asked to approve the business case and to apply for £3 million in grant funding through the Glasgow City Region City Deal programme. The new centre will cover a floor area of 2,864 square metres and will include a 25-metre, six-lane swimming pool with an adjustable-depth moving floor, designed to suit swimmers of all ages and abilities. Tiered spectator seating will also be installed to support local swimming events.
Other facilities will include a wellness suite with a sauna and steam room, a modern gym, and a multi-purpose fitness and dance studio suitable for yoga, Pilates and community events. A three-court games hall will also be built for hosting badminton, pickleball and five-a-side football matches. The whole building will include accessible changing, showering and toilet facilities that meet current accessibility standards.
Funding Breakdown
Funding for the new leisure centre comes from various sources: South Lanarkshire Council – £22.5 million, the City Deal – £3 million, the Shared Prosperity Fund – £1.15 million, the Place Based Investment Fund – £677,000, the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund – £300,000, and Sportscotland – £200,000. There is a funding gap of £263,000, but a council report by Kevin Carr, the council’s executive director of community and enterprise resources, confirms this will be covered using money from elsewhere in the local authority’s wider building budget.
Part of a Larger Plan
The new leisure centre is part of a much bigger plan for Larkhall, which will also see 1,700 new homes built in the area. Kevin Carr explained that the leisure centre is “an essential element of the community infrastructure” and that building it is “a necessary pre-requisite” for the rest of the new homes and facilities to go ahead. He continued: “The approval of this FBC (full business case) is expected to release funding to allow construction work to be completed in spring/summer 2028.”
A programme of enabling works commenced on site in May 2026, including erection of site hoardings, drainage works, construction of a haul road, installation of an electricity sub-station, and part demolition works of the existing centre. These works used council funding and have prepared the site for the main construction contract, which will commence, subject to approval, in August 2026. Construction company BAM has already been carrying out early site work and is set to be appointed for the main building contract once the business case is approved. Once finished, the new centre will be run by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture.
