Nearly 1,000 local votes settled on Millom Leisure Centre, reflecting strong community engagement and support for the new facility
The people of Millom have had a decisive say on what to call the town’s new flagship facility: after a community-wide process, the building under construction on Salthouse Road will officially be known as Millom Leisure Centre. The naming exercise attracted widespread participation, with a total of 931 responses collected through a mix of paper ballots and online submissions.
Organisers made sure that every pupil at local schools could take part, allowing the town’s youngest residents to contribute through an inclusive engagement approach and reinforcing the democratic nature of the choice.
How the vote unfolded and what the results mean
The consultation combined traditional and digital methods: 809 paper votes were cast at designated locations around the town while 122 people used an online form to record their preference. Of the three shortlisted options, Millom Leisure Centre received the most support with 416 votes, followed by Millom Sports Village on 305 votes and The Salthouse Centre on 211 votes.
Local leaders welcomed the turnout and especially noted the involvement of schoolchildren, describing the process as an authentic community vote that aligns the facility’s identity with residents’ expectations for sport, health and social activity.
The building and its facilities
Located on Salthouse Road, the new complex has been designed to offer a broad set of amenities. Plans include a swimming pool, a multi-purpose sports hall, a dedicated fitness studio and a 3G all-weather pitch, all intended to support both casual users and organised clubs. The project is being delivered in partnership with Cumberland Council and will operate as a local centre for wellbeing and activity, conceived as an accessible community hub where people of all ages can exercise, socialise and take part in classes and events.
Funding, partners and the wider town deal
The new centre forms part of the wider Millom Town Deal package through the Activating Community Health project, one of four major initiatives benefiting from strategic investment. Central government backing is a key element, with the town deal supported by £20.6 million in Government funding and £8.7 million in match funding. Additional financial contributions and partnerships have come from organisations including the Copeland Community Fund, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the South Copeland GDF Community Partnership, CGP, Millom School and Millom Town Council, demonstrating a broad coalition of public, community and institutional support.
Construction progress and next milestones
On site, visible progress is being made: the building envelope is advancing with external wall cladding nearly finished and roofing entering its final stages, while new kerbs and pedestrian access improvements are being installed in front of the site. Internally, the swimming pool has completed its internal testing and has passed formal inspection, and work is ongoing in the pool plant areas, changing rooms and the sports hall. At the existing sports hall, stripping-out works have been concluded and alterations are underway to prepare for fit-out. Councillors and town leaders have described these developments as significant milestones and said site improvements should be completed by autumn, underlining steady momentum toward opening.
Community programming and the operator
With the name decided, the day-to-day future of the centre is also taking shape: new operator Everyone Active is developing a tailored programme of activities designed to serve local needs, from drop-in fitness classes to club training slots and inclusive sessions for families and older residents. The operator’s plans aim to complement rather than duplicate existing offers in the area, creating a balanced timetable that supports grassroots sport and informal wellbeing activities. This programming work is an important element of preparing the site for welcoming users and embedding the venue within community life.
What residents can expect next
Residents can expect the complex to open to the public by the end of this year, when the doors will be ready to welcome people of all ages into a modern leisure environment. The name chosen by the town — Millom Leisure Centre — reflects local sentiment and the aspiration for a lively focal point for sport, health and social connection. The project team has stressed continued community involvement and communication as the final stages of work are completed and programming is finalised, reinforcing the role of local voices in shaping how the facility will operate.
Photo credit: Stuart Walker. For residents keen to stay informed, local channels and council updates will publish progress reports and information about membership, sessions and launch events as completion approaches, keeping the community connected to a project that they helped to name through an inclusive democratic process.
