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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.

See the finished development

Discover the full impact of the project and take a virtual walkthrough the brand new Newton-Le-Willows Health & Fitness.

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.

Innovative flexible workout space forms part of £2.3 million leisure redevelopment in Leicester

Credit: Saunders Boston Architects Leicester City Council has engaged Alliance Leisure to convert a sports hall into a flexible workout space. The project is part of a £2.3 million leisure regeneration scheme which incorporates redevelopment works at three leisure centres across the city.

Cossington Street Sports Centre and Evington Leisure Centre will undergo substantial modernisation to create physical activity environments more in-line with the needs of the communities they service. Aylestone Leisure Centre will involve a remodelling of the fitness space. Works will roll out from this month, starting at Cossington Street Sports Centre, and aim to complete by the end of this year.

All works are being delivered via the UK Leisure Framework, owned by Denbighshire Council and Managed by Denbighshire Leisure. Leading the design will be Saunders Boston Architects.

“Cossington Street Sports Centre is currently dominated by a traditional 3 court sports hall which will be transformed into a highly versatile fitness space,” says Tom Fairey, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure. “The current gym provision is very small, occupying only 50 square metres across two small rooms. The newly created fitness space will be 370 square metres larger, incorporating 50 training stations and will be defined by moveable storage partitions ensuring the configuration can be easily changed to accommodate a range of fitness activities. The current gym rooms will be knocked into one, creating a second versatile ‘Programmable Gym’ space.

“The default set up 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. If there is a demand for a larger group exercise space, the partitions can be removed to enable the incorporation of more floor space from the main gym area. This innovation provides a high level of flexibility and helps to future proof the development against changing market trends moving forwards.”

The changing spaces will be reconfigured and modernised, plus the entrance will be relocated to create a more welcoming space for visitors.

Andrew Beddow, Head of Sport Services Leicester City Council, says: “The current facility mix no longer reflects the needs of the community. In consultation with Alliance Leisure, through the UK Leisure Framework, we have designed a solution which will solve these issues and enable more local people to benefit from our leisure services.”

Development works at Evington Leisure Centre are set to begin in April 2020 and will include the addition of a single storey 280 square metres extension to create a 310 square metres Gym space, over twice the size of the existing provision.

“The local school utilises this facility so the sports hall still delivers value as a multi-sports facility,” explains Fairey. “This meant we couldn’t reconfigure existing floor space to increase the size of the gym. Instead we had to extend the footprint.”

In addition to a 70 station gym, the works will also incorporate two new studios – one to house group exercise and one to house group cycle, with redecoration throughout.

The final phase of this project will see the separate free weight gym and the main gym space united at Aylestone Leisure Centre, creating a much more welcoming and user friendly, open plan training space.

Speaking of the investment, Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair, who leads on culture, leisure and sport, says: “Our leisure centres are hugely valued by local people and play a very important role in health promotion across the city. We are making this major investment in facilities to encourage more people to active and help improve the health and wellbeing of our local communities.”

Scotland’s first immersive studio opens as part of £1.2m leisure development

Falkirk Community Trust has launched Scotland’s first immersive studio as part of a £1.2m redevelopment of Mariner Leisure Centre.

The trust, which operates sport, recreation, arts, heritage and library services on behalf of Falkirk Council, appointed leisure development specialist Alliance Leisure to deliver the project under the UK Leisure Framework.

Opened in 1985, the centre had just over 1,000 members when Alliance conducted its initial review of the site in 2019. The company’s latent demand report suggested a membership of more than 1,700 could be achieved by modernising the offer for today’s users.

The first floor of the centre has been redeveloped and now features Scotland’s first fully immersive workout environment, complete with a cinema size screen measuring almost 10m in span 2, top of the range audio and lighting systems and the Les Mills TRIP cycling workout.

The gym has almost doubled in size to 292 sqm, with more than 65 stations, including a Queenax functional training rig, sprint track, free weights, and two Keiser M7i wheelchair-accessible total body trainers.

There is also a newly created group fitness studio, which hosts a full timetable of live and virtual classes to complement the offering.

A separate review, conducted by Alliance Leisure, identified a need for wellness facilities to meet the needs of those not attracted by a traditional fitness offering.

The development therefore also includes a Shapemaster Hub, equipped with 12 pieces of power assisted equipment, which is designed for less mobile users, those who suffer from obesity or illness or are undergoing post-operative rehabilitation. A new office for Falkirk’s physical activity referral programme, Active Forth, will make it easier for the team to help those with more complex health issues to start their fitness journey.

The project has been funded by Falkirk Council and forms part of wider plans to revitalise the leisure offer in the area.

“We have been delighted to be working with the Trust to envisage how we may support developing the type of facilities and services needed to increase participation among modern users, while securing a viable future for their sites. It’s thanks to the UK Leisure Framework that they have been able to achieve their vision for Mariner Leisure Centre and we look forward to working with the trust on its future projects,” says James Foley, Commercial Director at Alliance Leisure.

Maureen Campbell, CEO of Falkirk Community Trust said: “The Mariner Centre is a key asset delivering opportunities to get ‘more people, more active, more often’ and deliver the aims of Falkirk Community Trust as a charity.

“Modernising and improving the quality of our services, including the introduction of a new immersive spin studio, expands our relevance into new audiences – those with high expectations and an appetite for new activities close to home. In addition, the new dedicated Shapemaster Hub will help us provide access for harder to reach audiences.”

County Durham set for £62.8 million Leisure Regeneration

Woodhouse Close Leisure Complex, Bishop Auckland

The landscape of leisure in Durham is set to change, following the approval by Durham County Council, of a significant £62.8 million investment programme to transform services across the County.

Working in close consultation with leisure development specialist, Alliance Leisure through the UK Leisure Framework, proposals were submitted and approved by Cabinet last month (January), paving the way for an ambitious transformation programme to bring provision in line with the needs of a modern day community.

As part of the plans, outdated facilities in Seaham, Chester-le-Street and Bishop Auckland are proposed to be replaced by new, vibrant multi-facility provisions, with modernisation proposals also approved at several other leisure facilities across the County. In addition, facility provision and programming across Durham will undergo a full review with a host of exciting innovations tipped for inclusion.

Cllr Carl Marshall, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, says: “We have already been very successful in introducing pioneering new ways to get active at our leisure centres. It’s important that we build on this by continuing to follow changing tastes and trends in the leisure industry if we are to increase participation in physical activity in the county and provide people with the type of services they want.”

James Foley, Commercial Director at Alliance Leisure says: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Council. This investment approval follows extensive consultation and evaluation between us, the Council and stakeholders.”

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul leisure provision across an entire county and to get it right. Using our experience of developing innovative leisure facilities in tandem with sound business planning, we will assist the Council to deliver exciting and sustainable facilities and services that meet the needs of the people in County Durham“.

Chester-Le-Street Leisure Centre

Nigel Dodds, Strategic Manager for Leisure at the Council, says: “An active community is a healthy community. We want to make sure we create inspiring, active environments that provide facilities and programmes offering something for everyone.”

Before finalising any plans for its leisure centres, the council will work with residents and centre users to decide how services should look.

In response to the news, Charles Johnson, Property Director for Sport England notes: “It is good to see that Durham recognises the worth of investing in their infrastructure as a way to get people to become more physically active, recognising the positive impact the right facilities in the right place have on people’s lives. We look forward to engaging with Alliance and Durham County Council in developing the detail behind these proposals.”

Chard Regeneration Gets Underway

Following approval by South Somerset District Council in September, works are finally underway on the regeneration of Chard, Somerset.Demolition of existing buildings on the industrial site at Boden Mill in the town centre began this month in preparation for the construction of a modern leisure centre housing a gym, a 25 metre swimming pool, exercise studios, adventure play facility and a café.

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.”

In addition to the leisure centre, approval has also been granted for the conversion and extension of an existing building to create a new library and community hub. Future phases of the development include proposals for housing, commercial units and public realm improvements.

Speaking about the development, Alex Parmley, Chief Executive and Sponsor of the Chard Regeneration Scheme, says: “The Boden Mill site has been derelict for many years and bringing it back in to use is an essential part of moving the town forward. With the regeneration of the site taking place over the coming years, this scheme will help to bring more footfall to the town centre, increase the vitality and help to boost businesses locally.”

Demolition works are expected to complete by Spring 2020. Phase 1 works to construct the new leisure centre will then get underway and are expected to complete by summer 2021.

Alliance Delivers £4.5 Million Redevelopment at Two Leisure Venues in Hertsmere

More people in Hertsmere are experiencing the benefits of health and fitness facilities thanks to the £4.5 million refurbishment of Bushey Grove and Furzefield Leisure Centres delivered by Alliance Leisure.

Working in partnership with charitable Trust, InspireAll (formerly Hertsmere Leisure), who manage the sites on behalf of Hertsmere Borough Council, Alliance kept the doors of both centres open, ensuring business as usual throughout the nine-month project. Alliance engaged with Createability to deliver the build works as part of the package.

“Our brief was to design and carry out works that would improve the sustainability of the centres through the provision of services and facilities which match the evolving needs of the whole community and the creation of new revenue generating opportunities,” explains Tom Fairey, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure. “I am pleased to say that the finished works tick both boxes at both sites.”

At Bushey Grove Leisure Centre, a mezzanine floor above the reception has added an impressive 7,800 sq ft to the gym and enabled the incorporation of a large, functional training space. A dedicated group cycle studio, hosting the latest Stages Flight cycles and a giant virtual experience screen, has also been added to enable the facility to offer round-the-clock classes.

Bushey Grove’s tired health suite has been remodeled to create a day-spa with its own reception and four treatment rooms. Visitors can enjoy an ice fountain, heated benches and bucket showers or can simply chill out in the new relaxation area, herbal sauna or aroma steam rooms. Changing areas have been renovated to ensure a luxury experience from start to finish.

Elsewhere, dry side changing rooms and the old creche have been converted into a cafe, new bathrooms, a staff room and a new creche. The old staff room is now a large party room with a folding acoustic wall that can open up to provide further cafe seating when necessary.

To complete the works, Bushey Grove’s swimming pool changing village has been lightly refurbished and features InspireAll’s branding and colours in keeping with the rest of the upgraded centre.

Furzefield Leisure Centre has also undergone major refurbishment. The centre’s tiny 6,900 sq ft soft play area has been transformed into party rooms and two of the existing sevencourt sports hall have been converted into a massive Soft Play and ‘XHeight’ Adventure Climbing facility suitable for all ages, with dedicated lobby, cafe and toilets.

As with Bushey Grove, the existing spa area has been remodeled to create a day spa with its own reception and four treatment rooms, reconfigured from a current studio. The spa includes: a relaxation area, salt inhalation room, ice fountain, feature shower, herbal sauna and aroma steam, as well as a bespoke, dedicated spa-specific changing area.

Like sister site Bushy Grove, Furzefield’s gym now offers a fully equipped functional training area as well as new equipment, including the Technogym SKILL range, including SKILLROW™, the SKILLMILL™ and the new SKILLRUN™ plus the latest connected equipment from Matrix. New vibrant wall graphics have also been added to help motivate customers to achieve new goals.

It also features an impressive immersive cycle studio hosting a full complement of Stages Flight cycles and a giant virtual experience screen.

The reception, back office and sales department have all received a cosmetic upgrade to ensure all areas reflect the InspireAll brand, along with new Paddy & Scott’s branded café’s.

Fairey adds: “Furzefield is a busy site but it had grown tired and was struggling to cater keep up with the leisure needs of the community. The recent works will help to retain existing users and also attract new segments of the market, creating a destination for all the family to enjoy some leisure time.”

Speaking about the developments, David Brame, Chief Executive of InspireAll, says: “This was a challenging project with significant crossover with the public, which was handled well. The finished facilities have been well received by our customers and will certainly help to strengthen user experience.

“Both leisure centres are an essential part of the community, already more individuals and groups are enjoying the quality of service and leisure experience these two centres now have to offer.”

Pembrey Country Park Celebrates Summer Success

Following a £1.4 million investment in a new visitor centre, function room and café, Carmarthenshire County Council is celebrating a bumper summer at Pembrey Country Park.

“Pembrey Country Park has always been one of Wales’ top visitor attractions but this summer has been extraordinary in terms of the number of visitors and income generated,” explains Neil Thomas Senior Outdoor Recreation Manager. “Over the summer holidays we have experienced a 10 per cent increase in footfall and a 15 per cent uplift in revenue on last year. There is little doubt that our success is due to the improvements we have made to our facilities.

“The natural beauty of the park, with its 500 acres of woodland and eight miles of golden sands has always attracted visitors but we felt we were not supporting the natural beauty with fit for purpose amenities. For example, we offered limited on site catering provision, in particular for the large numbers of guests staying on our caravan site. We were missing a trick from a customer experience and revenue generation point of venue.”

In 2017, Carmarthenshire County Council tasked Alliance Leisure, via the UK Leisure Framework, to design and build a 400 square foot visitor centre, function room and café. Works got underway in February and were completed in 21 weeks, ready for the summer season.

Neil Thomas, adds: “We took the decision to manage the café in house rather than rent the space to a third party. This has been a great decision. During July and August we served more than 50,000 customers.

“The function room has also been popular. So far, we have hosted children’s parties, corporate events and even have our first wedding booked for 2020. The space occupies 60 square feet and is extremely versatile, offering direct access to outside, the café and the restrooms.

Gillian Dunster, Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure, says: “Our brief was to design and build facilities which would enhance the member experience and provide opportunities to generate new incomes, creating a sustainable future for the Park.

“The first two months of operation suggest that working in close partnership with the council, we have delivered on both counts. Pembrey County Park is an area of natural beauty and now provides visitors with the infra structure they need to fully enjoy all the activities on offer from dry slope skiing and crazy golf to adventure play, horse riding, camping and nature trails.”