Landmark Bedford Leisure Site Brought to Market, Offers Major Investment Potential
Posted by Colliers on 2nd October 2025 -
Bedford Borough Council is seeking a long-term partner to acquire and regenerate the site of the Oasis Beach Pool, a well-known leisure destination in Bedford with scope for significant redevelopment and reinvestment. Colliers’ specialist Licensed & Leisure team is acting on behalf of the Council.
The 6.29-acre site on Cardington Road is being offered on a long leasehold basis for leisure use, with a view to attracting an ambitious leisure operator or investor committed to reviving the site’s leisure offering. The Council is inviting proposals that will retain the site for leisure facility use, aligning with wider regeneration plans and the explosive growth expected in Bedford over the coming years.
Originally opened in 1991, Oasis Beach Pool was designed as a family-orientated water leisure destination and features a distinctive pyramid design that remains a recognisable part of Bedford’s built landscape. The site currently also includes car parking for around 200 vehicles and is well located next to the Aspects Leisure Park, a Tesco Extra superstore, and the River Great Ouse.
There is also the potential to deliver a complementary outdoor leisure offer on riverside land adjoining the site.
Cllr Sarah Gallagher, Portfolio Holder for Customer Experience, Leisure and Culture at Bedford Borough Council, said: “We are seeking a partner who can bring fresh vision and energy to this important site, while respecting its leisure legacy. Oasis Beach Pool has been a much-loved facility and as part of the Council’s leisure strategy we have committed to protecting the site for leisure use for future generations of residents and visitors to the Borough. With the right investment and stewardship, we believe it can be reimagined as a modern, inclusive destination for local residents and the wider region.”
Bedford is well connected regionally and nationally and is part of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor, making it a key commuter hub and an accessible location for residents, visitors and businesses. The site is a mile from Bedford town centre and close to the train station, offering rail connections to London St Pancras in under 40 minutes. The site also benefits from direct access to the A421, providing fast links to the M1 (J13), A1(M), and surrounding cities such as Milton Keynes and Cambridge. The Borough is expected to see its population grow from 190,000 to 200,000 by 2035, supported by significant housing and infrastructure investment creating demand for high-quality, family friendly leisure destinations in the area.
Universal Destinations & Experiences will establish a world-class theme park and resort just south of Bedford, pending planning consent approvals. This investment will put Bedford on the global entertainment map, attracting up to 12 million visitors annually and creating 28,000 new direct and indirect jobs.
Paul Bugeja from Colliers’ Licensed & Leisure team commented: “The Oasis Beach Pool site represents a rare opportunity to secure a large, well-located and well-connected leisure site in a town undergoing major transformation. The scale of the site and its position close to existing and future leisure assets, including the planned Universal Destinations & Experiences theme park and resort, make this a compelling opportunity for investors and operators focused on community-led, commercially viable leisure offers.”
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