New Winchester Sport and Leisure Centre plans approved
Winchester Sport and Leisure Centre moved another step closer to becoming a reality after the Council’s Cabinet rubber-stamped the procurement strategy, facility mix and needs assessment in a meeting on Monday afternoon in Whiteley.
Members of the public heard how a state-of-the-art facility at Bar End will replace River Park Leisure Centre, with the new building in Bar End combining with the existing facilities on the site to provide a comprehensive package of indoor and outdoor activities.
Last year a facility mix was determined to be tested as part of the design and business case by the Council’s specialist Leisure consultants. Following a needs assessment, the proposed facility mix includes a 50m pool and an eight court sport hall built to high specification with a sprung timber floor and greater run off areas between courts than the existing River Park Leisure Centre. Other facilities include a separate teaching pool with movable floor, 250 spectator seats and a water play area, clip and climb facility, four squash courts, 200 gym stations, a hydrotherapy suite and eight treatment rooms, two large studios and one spin studio.
Cabinet also agreed that the procurement strategy which was reviewed by Mace, the Council’s appointed project managers and cost consultants. Mace recommended that the council adopt a two stage design and build process, which will transfer construction risk and provide a clear construction cost.
Cllr Lisa Griffiths, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing said,
We recognise that there is strong support for a new Sport and Leisure facility in the District as our current leisure centre comes towards the end of its useful life.
Today’s landmark decision to progress the new development will address this. We need to look to the future, and, having listened to the public and taken on board advice from the experts, are confident that we can create better facilities that offer a broader range of sport and leisure opportunities for the district’s communities.
The vision for the facility is for it to reflect the needs and aspirations of the broadest possible mix of users in the Winchester district and encompass developing sporting trends and developments. The project looks to foster the improved the health and happiness for residents in a wide district catchment.