Brighton & Hove City Council has welcomed confirmation from Historic England that the existing King Alfred Leisure Centre will not be added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, a decision that supports plans to redevelop the site.
Historic England informed the council on 20 January that, following an initial assessment, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has decided the building does not meet the criteria for listing.
The decision is also relevant to the ongoing public debate about whether the building could be refurbished. Detailed technical assessments carried out by the council have shown that refurbishment is not viable. The structure, condition and fragmented layout of the existing building mean that even extensive and costly work would fail to provide a safe, modern, fully accessible and energy‑efficient leisure facility for the longer term.
Redeveloping the King Alfred site will allow the council to:
- Deliver a modern, inclusive leisure centre designed around long‑term community needs
- Achieve high environmental and energy‑efficiency standards
- Provide fully accessible and versatile facilities for disabled users, families, clubs and community groups
- Ensure long‑term value for money, rather than investing in short‑life, high‑risk repairs
- Replace outdated and failing infrastructure with facilities designed for the next generation
Refurbishment would require major intrusive works, provide limited long‑term benefit, and would not address the fundamental structural and mechanical issues with the building.
The project team has described the decision as an important moment that removes a significant uncertainty and allows the programme to move forward confidently.
Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet Member for Sports, Recreation and Libraries, said: “Many people have great affection for the King Alfred, and I understand why. It’s played a big part in our city’s life. But the reality is that the building simply can’t be refurbished to the standard our residents deserve. The decision from Historic England gives us the clarity we need to move forward and fully focus on redeveloping the site for the west of the city.
“We’ve waited a long time for a new leisure centre for this part of Brighton & Hove, and this year we’ve made real progress, appointing Alliance Leisure, assembling the project team and securing approval to demolish the existing facility so we can redevelop the site with a modern centre.”
The council will continue to update residents, leisure users and local partners as the project progresses.
