After more than two and a half years of closure, Altrincham's leisure centre reopened its doors this summer after an extensive £20 million transformation.
The facility on Oakfield Road, now rebranded as move Altrincham, officially opened on 26th August with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local dignitaries including Trafford Council leader Cllr Tom Ross and Executive Lead for Leisure, Cllr Eve Parker.
The reopening marks a significant milestone in Trafford Leisure's ambitious rebranding strategy.
It represents the second facility to open under Trafford Leisure's new 'move' brand, following the successful redevelopment of move Urmston in March 2020. The transformation of Altrincham took longer than originally planned, with Trafford Council attributing delays to "the challenges of transforming the 50-year-old building".
Trafford Leisure, which delivers leisure on behalf of Trafford Council, wants the move brand to represent not just a rebrand, but a strategic vision to transform leisure provision across the borough.
Each move centre is being designed with unique selling points to serve different community needs while maintaining the core facilities that residents value most - pools, fitness suites, sports halls and classes.
By introducing distinctive features at each location, the centres aim to create a diverse and complementary range of activities across all facilities, delivering a broader and more enriched experience for the entire Trafford community.
move Urmston features a seven-metre climbing wall and serves as a community hub, hosting the local community theatre group twice a year.
The facility also includes "Emma's Room", an accessible sensory space designed for families and those with disabilities and additional needs.
move Altrincham positions itself as a wellness-focused destination, anchored by The Cove spa facility and a state-of-the-art gymnastics hub.
Looking ahead, move Partington is due to open in early 2027. The £18 million Levelling Up funding secured by Trafford Council will include health and wellbeing rooms and a virtual reality experienced for teens and young people, alongside external facilities featuring two 4G football pitches and a BMX pump track.
Jo Cherrett, CEO of Trafford Leisure, explained: "We're here for the community to be a hub of activity, a place to workout, socialise, relax and recover. We truly believe our move spaces inspire, encourage activity by being inviting, accessible and equipped for movement."
Supporting Trafford's most vulnerable
The move centres are designed to serve the borough's diverse demographic needs.
As the move refurbishment rolls out across the borough, Trafford Leisure has introduced "move in the community", an offering that extends beyond the walls of traditional centres. Meeting the community where they are, this initiative has been demonstrated through outdoor gyms located in Broomwood and Partington, with plans to continue developing and learning from this approach going forward.
The Active Trafford concessionary pass ensures that everyone in the community has opportunity to access sport and physical activity, offering 50% discounts on session prices for various eligible groups.
This includes support for those receiving Universal Credit, people aged 65 and over, disabled residents, students and armed forces personnel.
Trafford Leisure also helps to fund swimming lessons for all primary school children in Trafford, provides free activity packages for children in care, and offers complimentary three-month memberships to everyone reaching retirement age.
Accessibility at the heart of design
move Altrincham has been designed with accessibility as a core principle. The facility features pool pods that improve accessibility to the swimming areas, alongside inclusive facilities such as a Changing Places toilet for people with profound disabilities, a first for the town centre.
The combined lobby area includes pool viewing facilities, allowing parents and carers to comfortably watch swimming lessons while enjoying refreshments from local favourites MOST Bakery.
State-of-the-art facilities
The transformed centre represents a complete modernisation of the 1970s facility. At its heart are two fully refurbished pools: a 25-metre main pool and a 20-metre learner pool, both featuring cutting-edge microfiltration systems that deliver cleaner water while reducing operational costs.
The gymnastics hub is a purpose-built, state-of-the-art space designed for all levels, featuring pits for safe skill development, adjustable vault areas, parallel bars, tumble tracks, floor areas and beam training equipment.
The facility caters for ages from 18 months to teenagers through programmes including GymFants for toddlers and structured sessions with eight-stage award schemes for older children.
Additional facilities include world-class Technogym equipment, two flexible studio spaces offering Les Mills virtual classes, an immersive indoor cycle studio with 30 state-of-the-art Technogym bikes, and a four-court sports hall.
Leading on sustainability
The £20 million revamp has created a leisure centre that will be the first in the borough to be powered by large air source heat pumps and solar panels, set to save over 400 tonnes of carbon annually. This innovative heating system represents a major departure from traditional gas central heating, supporting Trafford Council's goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2038.
The transformation was made possible through substantial funding, with over £2 million secured from Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Government's Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. The centre also champions active travel with secure bicycle storage and electric vehicle charging points.
Membership and Pay-As-You-Go access
While membership options provide the best value, the facility welcomes pay-as-you-go customers, ensuring accessibility for all community members regardless of their preferred payment method.
The opening of move Altrincham represents more than just the return of leisure facilities to the town - it signals Trafford's commitment to inspire everyone to move more every day, with health, wellness and community at its core.
