A NEW milestone has been reached in the construction of the new £16 million neighbourhood being built at Great Sankey Leisure Centre.
The steel frame and glass façade that forms the 4,328 square-metre two-storey extension to the existing leisure centre has now been erected.
Work has also started on site to create a new access route along Lingley Green Avenue and to expand the existing car park. The hub will be LiveWire’s first dementia-friendly building – providing modern and accessible facilities for an ageing population in west Warrington.
Steve Reddy from the borough council, Steve Roberts from BAM and LiveWire’s Emma Hutchinson
Steve Reddy, deputy chief executive and director for families and wellbeing at Warrington Borough Council, said: “Great Sankey Neighbourhood Hub will improve the health and well being of residents in west Warrington, delivering much needed services to the area, including state-of-the-art fitness and swimming facilities, health services, a library and a spa.
“As with all large projects of this kind, there will be some disruption for existing leisure centre users during the building works, but I’m sure they will be delighted to see how well this project is progressing. It’s really starting to take shape, and looking less like a building site and more like the fantastic facility it will become.”
The centre will close for approximately four months to enable major refurbishment work to take place, so the majority of the new facilities can open to the public this winter. All indoor facilities will close mid-July, with only the tennis courts and 3G pitch in operation until the new hub opens its doors.
Existing LiveWire members will be able to use the company’s five other leisure sites across the town.
Emma Hutchinson, managing director of LiveWire, added: “We have worked hard with our contractor, BAM Construction, to keep the centre operational for as long as possible during such a large construction process, in order to minimise disruption for our customers.
“We have continued to run classes, provide an operational fitness suite, and facilitate group bookings for more than 12 months, but we cannot carry out some of the major renovation and demolition works to the existing building while it’s still open to the public.
“I would like to thank our customers in advance for their continued cooperation and patience during this development.”
BAM Construction project manager Steve Roberts said: “We have done everything we can to keep the centre open with access to as many facilities for as long as possible, but in order to maintain good progress of the build and ensure the highest possible standards of health and safety for everyone involved, we have no option but to close the centre for this period of time to complete essential works.
“We look forward to completing the first phase of works and seeing this great new facility open to the public.”
The new facility will open in two stages, with the new concourse, café, library, 120 station fitness suite, studios, health facilities, and retail space completed this winter. The spa, pools, sports hall, and conference spaces will open in spring next year.
How the new gym will look
