Exeter’s unique new leisure centre welcomes its first customers

Published: 29 April 2022

Exeter’s brand new leisure centre St Sidwell’s Point has opened its doors and welcomed customers for the first time.

Hundreds of people arrived early to enjoy the long-awaited opening of the UK’s first ultra-low energy Passivhaus leisure centre.

Exeter City Council Director Jon Paul Hedge said: “I’m just so pleased that the people of Exeter are getting to see the centre. People will notice the quality of the facilities, and it's been so lovely to see people in here for the first time.

“We’ve really tried hard to keep the cost of membership low - that's the whole point of this. We’re very open to casual swims. If you’re in the city centre come up and have a swim. For regular users, by far the most cost-effective method is to buy a membership.”

St Sidwell’s Point, built next to the new Exeter Bus Station, has three pools, a gym with more than 100 stations, a premium spa, three group exercise studios, a soft play area, creche and cafe.

It features an eight-lane, 25m main pool and a four-lane, 20m learner pool, both with moveable floors, making learning to swim accessible to all who visit. There is also a confidence pool for children.

Due a special filtration process the pools will have exceptional water quality with minimal chemical content, which will greatly improve the experience for swimmers compared to a standard pool.

Exeter Leisure Service Lead Cath Hill said: “I can’t speak highly enough of the staff. The team here have worked incredibly long hours over the last few weeks. They’ve done an incredible job.

“Everyone’s just really pleased to be here and to experience what is something totally new, not just for Exeter but for the UK. The Passivhaus environment is comfortable - it's unique and it makes for a fantastic experience across the whole centre.”

Membership is just £25 a month for swimming at St Sidwell’s Point, and the same membership can also be used to swim at Riverside or Northbrook. Additional activities like the gym can added to the membership for an extra £5 a month.

All the information, including details of Junior Membership and Family Membership, is also available on the Exeter Leisure website www.exeterleisure.com

The easiest way to buy membership is on the Exeter Leisure app, which can be downloaded on the Apple App Store or Google Play:

The opening hours for St Sidwell’s Point are:

Monday to Friday - 6.30am to 10pm
Saturday to Sunday - 8am to 8pm