October brings a varied mix of ownership changes, investment decisions, and fresh plans across the UK leisure industry. 

Holiday parks are exploring ways to extend their trading seasons, while golf venues face pivotal decisions over their future and potential redevelopment. In hospitality, a major acquisition and new hotel proposals highlight continued movement in the market, alongside efforts to secure the long-term future of established airport accommodation. 

Community leisure also remains in focus, with a major Sheffield facility moving towards construction and funding uncertainty affecting plans elsewhere. 

This month’s stories reveal the different forces influencing the sector, from commercial opportunity to local priorities.

• Holiday park operator Haven has submitted a planning application to extend the annual season at Primrose Valley Holiday Park near Filey by 1-month, which would allow the North Yorkshire site to open from 1st February each year to capture the February half-term demand.

• Private equity firm Aermont, via affiliate Panther Bidco Limited, has completed the acquisition of Sun Communities' UK assets, including the 50-plus location holiday park operator Park Holidays. Back in May Park Holidays’ CEO Jeff Sills said the company was looking forward to “the next chapter for the business".

• The 39-acre Blaby Golf Centre in Leicestershire - comprising a nine-hole course, pitch-and-putt, adventure golf, and on-site bar and restaurant has been placed on the market with outline planning consent secured for a 200-home residential development on the site.

• Members of Glen Golf Club in North Berwick have voted 273 to 221 against a proposal to enter a 125-year lease agreement with American-backed The Ancient Links Golf Company, rejecting a potential £5 million investment in course and clubhouse upgrades. The current management committee will remain in place.

• Radisson Hotel Group has extended its lease with Union Investment for the 360-room Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport through 2035, with an option to extend the agreement further to 2045. The hotel is the only one at Manchester airport linked to the airport terminals, offering its guests the utmost convenience.

• ION Property Developments Limited is set to begin construction in 2027 on a new 110-bedroom hotel on the site of the former Wakefield Westgate railway station, supported by £8 million in government funding from the Local Regeneration Fund. 

• Building contractor Willmott Dixon has secured a £40 million contract from Sheffield City Council to construct the Uriah Rennie Leisure Centre - featuring a 25-metre six-lane pool, gyms, sports hall, fitness studios, and four-rink indoor bowls hall - with work scheduled from November 2026 to September 2028 as a replacement for Springs Leisure Centre. 

• Waitrose has secured planning approval from Bracknell Forest Council to open its private Willoughby Road sports and leisure club in Bracknell to the general public to address declining internal membership and facility under-utilisation.

• Ballard School in New Milton, Hampshire, has been named Regional Independent School of the Year (South) at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards 2026, marking its fourth recognition in five years. 



• Bradford Council has confirmed that £14.6 million in central government Levelling Up funding allocated to the cancelled Squire Lane Leisure Centre cannot be redirected to fund the estimated £8.6 million reopening of Bingley Pool.