Tendring District Council (TDC) has begun preliminary site works on a cycling and climbing hub at Clacton Leisure Centre in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. Local reporting and council materials identify a £2 million ‘Ride and Play’ element for cycling and climbing facilities, which sits within a larger allocation for the leisure-centre site and the council’s wider Community Regeneration Partnership programme.
The scheme, promoted as part of the Active Wellbeing Centre proposals, will include a bouldering (climbing) facility, a pump track for bikes and a learn-to-ride area for children. Council and project pages describe the funding as coming through Tendring’s Community Regeneration Partnership with central government (referred to in council documents as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government). The various sources show slightly different figures for the package: local reporting refers to the £2m Ride-and-Play element, council papers list a £3m allocation for cycling facilities and urgent repairs at the leisure centre, and the Love Clacton project page references approximately £3.75m for the Active Wellbeing Centre site; all of these sit within the larger £19.8m regeneration award to the district.
Construction activity is already affecting some services. The Clacton Leisure Centre timetable shows 50+ and Inclusive Swim sessions changing on Mondays from 12 January to 20 April 2026 for essential maintenance; council project materials and the programme brief link these timetable changes to preliminary site works related to the regeneration programme. Alongside new sports features, council statements say part of the money will be used to improve the building’s heating reliability and enhance energy efficiency as part of urgent repairs.
Councillor Mick Barry, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Public Realm at Tendring District Council, said the aim is to future-proof the leisure offer and provide activities that appeal to people who do not usually use a conventional gym. Some local residents — voiced during consultations and local reporting — have argued the centre needs rebuilding rather than incremental additions; council leaders say the new facilities and repairs are intended to improve health and wellbeing across the community.
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