Works complete at Crystal Leisure Centre in Stourbridge
Works complete at Crystal Leisure Centre in Stourbridge
Following a revamp managed by Alliance Leisure, we are delighted to report that the 25 metre swimming pool at the Crystal Leisure Centre has re-opened to swimmers. The leisure pool will re-open later this month, bringing with it the return of free swimming sessions for children.
The redevelopment of the wet side facilities at this centre is the first project to complete as part of the £31 million investment by Dudley Council that also includes the construction of a brand new leisure centre in Dudley and a transformational redevelopment of the centre in Halesowen.
The upgrade works at Crystal Leisure Centre have included a complete tile repair, re-grout and clean of both the 25-metre pool and the leisure pool, as well as the addition of several interactive water features and a DJ booth to compliment the leisure pool, where the slides have also been relined and painted.
The changing facilities have been completely remodelled to create a spacious changing village perfect for families.
Councillor Simon Phipps, Dudley Council’s cabinet member responsible for leisure centres, says: “It’s fantastic to see the 25 metre pool back open at Crystal. I had the chance to have a look around and I must say the contractors have done a first class job.”
The works at Crystal Leisure Centre are part of a wider £31million leisure regeneration programme procured through the UK Leisure Framework, managed by Denbighshire Leisure, which has seen Alliance Leisure work with construction partner, Speller Metcalfe, to deliver the project.
Julia Goddard, Senior Development Manager, Alliance Leisure, says: “It’s fantastic to see the difference this investment has made at the Crystal Leisure Centre. By committing investment in leisure, Dudley Council is creating active environments for residents to enjoy for many years to come and we are delighted to have been involved in such a transformational project.”
Residents in Halesowen are also to benefit from the Council’s investment, with an £8.8 million remodelling project well underway at the Halesowen Leisure Centre. Here, the fitness suite has been expanded and a wellness suite added to extend the appeal to a wider segment of the community, plus the adventure play area, café and main entrance will all enjoy a revamp. In the pool area a new changing village will enhance the experience for learners through to advanced swimmers.
In Dudley, construction of the new, £18.1 million Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre is also underway, with the centre due to handover in November and open in January 2022.
Benefiting from excellent public transport links via the forthcoming adjacent Metro stop and the nearby bus Interchange, the new leisure centre will include a 25-metre, eight-lane swimming pool and a teaching pool with spectator provision.
There will be a four-court sports hall suitable for indoor football, badminton and more, plus a sauna, 100-station gym and fitness suite, two group exercise studios and an immersive cycle studio – a first for the Black Country – and power-assisted wellness centre which may help those recovering from injury, older customers and people living with long-term health conditions.
There will also be a soft play area with catering facilities and a party room, and a café.
ukactive Awards 2021
ukactive Awards 2021
The much anticipated ukactive Awards 2021 took place virtually on the 12th of August, and the team at Alliance Leisure watched them with great anticipation and enjoyment. As ever, they offered a great opportunity to celebrate the very best examples of work and ingenuity in the industry, especially following the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We were immensely proud that over half of the finalists shortlisted for the award for ‘New Concept, Build or Design of the Year’ at the ukactive Awards were Alliance Leisure developments. Whilst we were disappointed not to win the award, we would like to congratulate to the winners, and are honoured that our projects reached the final stage at such a prestigious event. We would also like to thank our partners and suppliers who helped to make these projects possible.
Sarah Watts, CEO of Alliance Leisure, says:
I was delighted and proud to see these four facilities shortlisted as finalists at the ukactive awards. We extend huge congratulations to the winner, and are delighted that the projects that Alliance Leisure were a part of have been recognised for serving as innovative, enjoyable, and accessible ways for people to be more active, more often.
Sarah Watts
The projects for which we were nominated are:
SC2
Built on behalf of Denbighshire Leisure, this incredible facility offers a large indoor waterpark, an outdoor splash pad, five food and beverage outlets, as well as the first TAGActive in North Wales, which also happens to be the largest in the UK.
Monmouth Leisure Centre
A true feat of engineering which saw a swimming pool being put into a former sports hall, this project on behalf of Monmouthshire County Council is a true testament to innovation.
Long Stratton Leisure Centre
Long Stratton’s transformation is one of the most profound of ours in recent years, and the thorough refurbishment included a new gym, soft play facility, café, and much more.
Haverhill Leisure Centre
The ingenious re-think of Haverhill Leisure Centre placed, now thriving, soft play and Clip ‘n’ Climb facilities in the previously underused sports hall, as well as a host of other refurbishments to achieve the centre’s full potential.
4 Alliance Leisure Developments Nominated for ukactive Awards
4 Alliance Leisure Developments Nominated for ukactive Awards
Alliance Leisure are delighted to reveal that four of their developments have been shortlisted for the finals of the ukactive Awards 2021 in the category of ‘New Concept, Build or Design of the Year’.
These impressive projects are:
SC2
Built on behalf of Denbighshire Leisure, this incredible facility offers a large indoor waterpark, an outdoor splash pad, five food and beverage outlets, as well as the first TAGActive in North Wales, which also happens to be the largest in the UK.
Monmouth Leisure Centre
A true feat of engineering which saw a swimming pool being put into a former sports hall, this project on behalf of Monmouthshire County Council is a true testament to innovation.
Long Stratton Leisure Centre
Long Stratton’s transformation is one of the most profound of ours in recent years, and the thorough refurbishment included a new gym, soft play facility, café, and much more.
Haverhill Leisure Centre
The ingenious re-think of Haverhill Leisure Centre placed, now thriving, soft play and Clip ‘n’ Climb facilities in the previously underused sports hall, as well as a host of other refurbishments to achieve the centre’s full potential.
Sarah Watts, CEO of Alliance Leisure, says:
“We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for these prestigious awards. The fact that four of our projects have reached this stage exemplifies just how much fantastic work the team has achieved, which we are continuing into the future with more transformational developments.”
New Dudley Leisure Centre Site Receives Top Marks
New Dudley Leisure Centre Site Receives Top Marks
ISG, the appointed construction team working on building a new leisure centre in Dudley, recently re-named the Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre, have received outstanding marks as part of the Considerate Constructors Scheme for their practices.
The report commented that the site on Flood Street was the best they had seen in the last year, and ISG are now using the site as a showcase of good practice, with other construction firms visiting Dudley to learn from ISG’s work.
Dudley Council has committed £17.4 million to the project in the heart of the town centre. Working in partnership with Alliance Leisure, through the UK Leisure Framework, the council will create a vibrant modern hub for residents and workers to enjoy a range of physical activities.
The new venue will be located in Flood Street, approximately one mile from the current centre and will occupy part of a council owned car park. It will include: a 25 metre, 8-lane swimming pool; a teaching pool with spectator provision; sauna; a 4-court sports hall; a 100 station fitness suite; two group exercise studios; an immersive cycle studio; a soft play area with catering facilities and a party room; a café; a sauna and a power assisted exercise studio.
Julia Goddard, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure, says: “Because this is a brand new facility, we can design an environment that perfectly reflects the needs of the community. Incorporating the soft play area and power assisted exercise studio will extend appeal to a much wider audience, creating an inclusive provision that can be enjoyed by all. The town centre location also means the facility boasts great accessibility and is within easy reach of a new Metro stop on Flood Street and the bus interchange.”
Construction works are due to complete in October 2021. The current leisure centre on Wellington road will remain open until the new centre is ready to open its doors in Spring 2022.
The Alliance Leisure development team also includes Robert Limbrick Architects alongside ISG. All works will be delivered via the UK Leisure Framework, managed by Denbighshire Leisure. Full details of the Dudley regeneration programme can be found here.
Three Developments Complete On Time and On Budget
Alliance Leisure Defies Pandemic And Completes Three Leisure Developments On Time And On Budget
Three significant leisure build projects have defied lockdown challenges, completing on time and on budget.
Managed by Alliance Leisure via the UK Leisure Framework, owned by Denbighshire Council and managed by Denbighshire Leisure, Newmarket Leisure Centre in West Suffolk, Colwyn Leisure Centre in North Wales and Cossington Street Sport Centre in Leicester have all undergone extensive makeovers through the pandemic to realign their provision to the needs of the community they serve.
The £1.8 million development at Newmarket Leisure Centre is the second project to be awarded to Alliance Leisure by West Suffolk Council and follows the success of the development delivered by the same team at Haverhill Leisure Centre. Works began in November 2019 and completed July 2020 with works continuing through most of lockdown.
Designed by Saunders Boston Architects, the project team worked within the current building footprint to remodel the space and create new facilities designed to increase participation in regular physical activity among all segments of the local community.
These include a new soft play facility with a dedicated sensory room, a second exercise studio and an extension to the gym creating a functional training zone, with the addition of a new EGYM facility to attract a new user demographic. The centre, which is managed by Abbeycroft Leisure, also now benefits from new gym changing facilities, a new reception area and access control as well as a new Paddy & Scott’s style café, party and meeting rooms.
When Colwyn Leisure Centre on the Eirias Park leisure development in North Wales opened its doors post lockdown, visitors were greeted by a completely reimagined fitness suite.
“The government announcement in March that closed businesses across the UK was obviously a huge concern and we worried that works on Eirias Park would become very difficult,” says Alliance Leisure’s Business Development Manager, Will Gardner. “Fortunately, thanks to a solid supply chain and the strict adherence to health and safety guidance ensuring the safeguarding of workers, the project was able to progress, uninterrupted.”
The fitness suite in Colwyn Leisure Centre has been completely reconfigured. Two small, very tired studio spaces have been incorporated into the main gym, creating an open plan 397 square metre training space housing a full complement of Technogym strength and cardiovascular equipment. In addition, an Origin rig takes centre stage in the functional training area, providing a multitude of new training opportunities for users. New specialist flooring was also laid throughout the free weight and functional areas. At the moment, the sports hall is being utilised to host some gym equipment, helping the centre to manage social distancing.
In a separate, dedicated building on the same sports complex, the Eirias Performance Gym, utilised by the national rugby team and the community, has benefited from a complete new floor. Will Gardner explains: “Years of heavy weights being dropped had taken its toll on the floor’s structure resulting in a need to replace the sub floor and apply new screed. Sports performance specialist, Perform Better then laid a 32mm Duratrain floor with an astroturf sled track down the middle and a dedicated matted wrestle area in one corner.
The £632,000 development project was funded by funded by Conwy County Borough Council. Works began in February 2020 and continued through lockdown to complete, on time and well under budget, at the end of June.
In Leicester, one of the UK’s worst hit coronavirus areas, Alliance Leisure remodelled a traditional, under-utilised sports hall into a flexible workout space at Cossington Street Sports centre, forming part of a £2.3 million leisure regeneration scheme with Leicester City Council.
Tom Fairey, Senior Development Manager at Alliance leisure, says: “The superb hall conversion will accommodate a fully equipped gym and free weight section, with a studio space defined by a specialist sprung floor, half height partitioning plus independent lighting and audio systems. This innovative design, enhanced with daylight from new windows to the hall, provides a unique and modern open-plan fitness environment that will engage with many more users. Great news for Leicester following very difficult times during the pandemic”
The changing spaces have also been reconfigured and modernised, plus the entrance has been relocated to create a more welcoming space for visitors. The whole project took 6 months to complete
Speaking about the three projects, James Foley, Commercial Manager at Alliance Leisure, says: ““The team has worked incredibly hard to complete these projects on time despite the challenges caused by Covid-19 and lockdown. At a time when the government is urging the nation to get fit and lose weight, these improved facilities will attract new users to the centre and drive new revenue streams to help the centre have a sustainable future.”
Latest Updates from Momentous Chard Regeneration Project
Fantastic progress is being made upon Chard’s new leisure centre as part of South Somerset District Council’s Boden Mill regeneration. Work on site resumed safely in April, as contractors were able to return to the site following Covid-19 risk assessments and adoption of new working practices.
As we enter Week 28 of construction, the sheet piling for the swimming pool has been completed and steels have gone up as part of the construction of a modern leisure centre, housing a gym, a 25-metre swimming pool, exercise studios, an adventure play facility, and a café.
Alliance Leisure has been appointed to manage the project under the UK Leisure Framework, and will work alongside building contractor Speller Metcalfe, plus architecture and building consultancy practice AHR.
Julia Goddard, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure, says:
“The construction of a leisure centre is the direct result of a number of public consultations. It is fantastic to finally see the bulldozers on site, marking the beginning of a project that will reinvigorate this under-utilised part of the town and encourage a more active, healthy and happy community.”
Councillor Jason Baker, portfolio holder for the Chard Regeneration Scheme and Chairman of Area West Committee, says:
“It’s going to be hugely exciting to see the leisure centre begin to take shape in the coming months and we will be delivering a much-needed and long-awaited project that will encourage not only local communities but visitors to come to Chard.”
This momentous project is due to open in Autumn 2021.






£4.2 million Leisure Centre Redevelopment Completes in Merseyside
As leisure centres across the country re-open for business, Newton-Le-Willows Health & Fitness, Merseyside, has revealed a modernised Selwyn Leisure Centre, completely repurposed by Alliance Leisure to realign the facilities and services to the needs of the local community.
The phased project, which saw leisure, design and build specialist Createability acting as principal contractor, completely overhauled the centre to introduce a mezzanine floor in half of the existing sports hall to create a 90-station gym. The addition of a multi-functional exercise studio and a dedicated Les Mills Immersive group cycle studio completed the health and fitness transformation. The remainder of the sports hall facilitated a new adventure play area for under 11s along with three party rooms.
A Sport England grant of £335,000 funded improved access to the swimming pool and gym for people with disabilities as well as a new Village Change area. All other areas of the centre were renovated including the café, reception area and the changing areas serving the outdoor pitch. The site has undergone a complete mechanical, electrical and plant replacement to significantly extend the lifecycle of the building, along with the introduction of new carbon efficient technologies.
With the addition of children’s activities and innovative fitness solutions, the facility now serves a broader demographic and it is hoped these enhancements will improve local health outcomes. Prior to the development, health in the borough was worse than the national average, reflected by the higher than average cost of physical inactivity.
“The facility was dated and the type of activities available were clearly not attractive to the local community, which created a barrier to participation in exercise. Memberships pre-development was 1,000, with a latent demand of 1,948. Since the investment, memberships have increased to 2,300, which is a fantastic result for St Helen’s Council and local people,” says James Foley, Commercial Director at Alliance Leisure.
Starting in March 2019, the project was completed in five phases to keep the centre open to the public throughout the redevelopment. Final works completed in early August 2020, with works continuing during the challenges presented by lockdown.
David Boocock, Service Manager at St.Helens Council, said: “The council took the brave decision in 2019, in what was a challenging financial climate, to invest in the site. The impact of this investment has far exceeded our expectations and more importantly those of the communities which we serve. Working with the Alliance team we have repurposed space and broadened the appeal of the activities the building is able to accommodate. Their advice has been sound and, if anything, their forecasts for usage have been conservative. Within six months the site is hitting its three-year targets.
“The building has gone from a tired 90s sports centre to a facility which provides affordable leisure and fitness activities in a high quality environment for people of all ages and abilities.”
Ian Cotgrave, Managing Director of Createability, said: “This project was a real team effort by all concerned, and delivered in challenging Covid times. The results are spectacular, and the trans-formation needs to be seen to be believed.”
The project was secured under the UK Leisure Framework, which is owned by Denbighshire Council and managed by Denbighshire Leisure. Following its success, Alliance is starting work on a second project for St. Helens Council. The scheme will look to bring the swimming pool at Sutton Leisure Centre back into use, six years after it was closed to the public.
Work starts on £17.4 million leisure centre in Dudley
Work is underway on a new Leisure Centre in Dudley. Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council has committed £17.4 million to the project in the heart of the town centre.
Working in partnership with Alliance Leisure, through the UK Leisure Framework, the council will create a vibrant modern hub for residents and workers to enjoy a range of physical activities.
“This is fantastic news for Dudley. Our residents deserve and need a top class leisure centre and I’m really pleased that work is progressing. We truly are regenerating Dudley, the demolition of Cavendish House is complete and we have great ambitions for our borough. It’s our time to build, connect and grow,” said Councillor Patrick Harley, Leader of Dudley Council.
“Once the hoardings go up, work will truly be underway and we should see a new, state of the art centre standing with pride in Dudley by the end of next year.”
The new venue will be located in Flood Street, approximately one mile from the current centre and will occupy part of a council owned car park. It will include: a 25 metre, 8-lane swimming pool; a teaching pool with spectator provision; sauna; a 4-court sports hall; a 100 station fitness suite; two group exercise studios; an immersive cycle studio; a soft play area with catering facilities and a party room; a café; a sauna and a power assisted exercise studio.
Julia Goddard, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure, says: “Because this is a brand new facility, we can design an environment that perfectly reflects the needs of the community. Incorporating the soft play area and power assisted exercise studio will extend appeal to a much wider audience, creating an inclusive provision that can be enjoyed by all. The town centre location also means the facility boasts great accessibility and is within easy reach of a new Metro stop on Flood Street and the bus interchange.”
Works are due to complete in October 2021. The current leisure centre on Wellington road will remain open until the new centre is ready to open its doors.
The Alliance Leisure development team includes construction specialist ISG and Robert Limbrick Architects. All works will be delivered via the UK Leisure Framework, owned by Denbighshire Council and managed by Denbighshire Leisure.


A New Look for Alliance Leisure
A new look for Alliance Leisure! But the same great service, people and results!
2019 saw Alliance Leisure celebrate 20 years of providing developments and client support to the UK leisure market. And now in 2020 we’re refreshing our brand.

With the launch of TA6 last year and the continued success of the UK Leisure Framework the new logo strengthens the relationship between these core parts of the company and gives a new and unique identity to the business.

Our Cube icon represents the 5 elements of the business:
- Design
- Build
- Fund
- Deliver
- Support
To find out more about our services CLICK HERE or contact a member of OUR TEAM today.
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