May 2022 - Alliance Leisure

Monthly Archives: May 2022

Planning request submitted for development of Racecourse

Leisure development specialists Alliance Leisure, in partnership with Derby City Council have submitted a full planning application to Derby City Council for the development of the Football Hub at Derby Racecourse, enhancing current provision.

This exciting, proposed provision of a Football Hub will see the development of the current Derby Racecourse. There will be considerable improvements to the existing site by increasing car parking spaces by over 200 and improving entry and exit to the site to significantly help traffic movement around the local neighbourhood. The development will create a vibrant community hub with an open and accessible café space and flexible community spaces. The football development will see 3 new full-sized floodlit 3G pitches alongside the existing 3G which will enhance the home of the Derby Junior Football League and the Derbyshire Girls and Ladies League hosting over 250 matches each weekend.

The project is part of a national Hubs programme led by the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s Football Foundation with the aim to offer an alternative and sustainable solution to the long-term future for grassroots football. It is anticipated that the new development of the Football Hub will support the increased demand in football in Derby as identified in the Playing Pitch Strategy.

Engagement with the community has highlighted the need for a community hub in this area of Derwent with a broader range of facilities for the local community. This development will improve the play and recreation facilities for young people and their families along with creating more habitat for wildlife.

The planning application will be considered by Derby City Council’s planning committee and will be accompanied by a range of technical documents covering matters such as community engagement, noise, traffic generation, car parking and ecology.

Subject to planning consent being granted, work on the Football Hub is set to commence in early 2023.

Commenting on their plans for the Football Hub, Will Gardner Alliance Leisure Business Development Manager, said: “We are looking forward to delivering this project by bringing together specialist partners who can create a relevant community asset for the local area. Alliance Leisure pride ourselves on delivering quality facilities and the Football Hub will be no exception.”

The aim of this scheme is to upgrade and improve facilities for grassroots football in Derby. We look forward to this next, important stage.

Cllr Jerry Pearce

Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Leisure and Public Spaces,

Lee Rider, Senior Delivery Manager, Football Foundation said: “The Foundation are supportive of the Councils plans for the Racecourse site and believe that the impact locally will be significant for both sport and wider users of the park when complete.”

To visit the Football Hub website for updates and information regarding the project click below.

FOOTBALL HUB WEBSITE

Berkshire Lido gets green light on £5 million upgrade

Alliance Leisure has been given the go-ahead by West Berkshire Council to start work on the redevelopment of the Lido at Northcroft Leisure Centre in Newbury.

The £5 million proposal was given the thumbs up following extensive consultation with local people on how they would like to see their Lido developed and updated. Without this investment, the lido would have been at risk of closure as it needs important structural work.

Residents favoured the creation of a new 50 metre Olympic sized pool, which will now be developed alongside additional interactive water play features for children and young people.

The investment is projected to increase usage from the current levels of 15 to 20,000 visits per annum to over 50,000 across the six-month opening period.

An outdoor pool has existed on the site since 1870. In 1914, it was extended and then in 1937 it was completely rebuilt, at which point, the 72-metre pool was thought to be the largest pool in the south of England.

The Lido is steeped in history and has provided happy memories for many generations of local residents. It is an integral part of our landscape and through this £5 million investment we intend to ensure it remains so for many years to come.

Councillor Howard Woollaston

West Berkshire's Executive Member for Leisure and Culture

Unfortunately, unlike more modern pools, the Newbury Lido is affected by ground water levels, which, over the years has undermined the integrity of the structure and requires constant maintenance. To be able to inspect the pool and carry out any maintenance, the pool must be emptied, a procedure which can only be carried out when ground water levels are low. In past years this has meant the opening date for the summer season has been decided by the water table level, often meaning a reduced operating season.

The £5 million investment by West Berkshire Council will include the introduction of an underground tank to control pool water levels. The length of the main pool will be reduced from 72 metres to 50 metres and the pool depth will be reduced from a maximum of 2.8 metres to a consistent 1.5metres, lowering the pressure on the structure and easing maintenance demands. These changes will ensure that people can enjoy an extended opening season from Easter through to Autumn.

The investment will support an increase in annual visitors from 20,000 to 50,000, creating a sustainable future for one of the UK’s oldest and most loved outdoor pools.

Greg Walker

Business Development Manager, Alliance Leisure

Seb Rowe discusses his changing roles since the ukactive Future Leaders Programme

Five years after embarking on ukactive’s Future Leaders programme, Seb Rowe has joined Alliance Leisure to deliver the next generation of sports and physical activity spaces.

In the summer of 2017, I along with other professionals from the physical activity sector, took a trip of a lifetime to Barcelona’s leading IESE Business School. The week-long course was designed to meet the specific needs of physical activity sector operators and suppliers and equip participants with the skills and tools to drive the sector’s future growth.

I was working in business development for Life Leisure at the time. Malcolm Mcphail, the then CEO, suggested I join the Future Leaders programme not only for my own professional development, but for the wider benefit of Life Leisure.

We studied from 7am to 7pm every day, developing solutions to real-world challenges. It was tough, but it was incredible. The tools and techniques that I learned during that week I still use in my work today. It was a brilliant experience. And beyond all of the practical learning, it’s something I will remember for the rest of my life.

That week in Barcelona was only the start of what proved to be a continual learning experience encompassing mentoring, events and ongoing engagement. The Future Leaders alumni still exists today and despite being out of the sector for a while, I continue to benefit from that shared connection with industry colleagues.

The alumni has allowed me to build lasting relationships, learn alongside other people in the industry and lean on others for advice and information. It’s been invaluable for my career.

I worked for Life Leisure for 11 and a half years. In 2020 I left to join the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman as Programme Manager. But sport and physical activity has always been a big part of my life, so when I saw an opportunity to come back to the sector, I didn’t hesitate.

Alliance Leisure has a great reputation, and after talking to the senior leadership team I understood their vision and knew I wanted to be a part of the organisation.

I’m working alongside some very talented people. The culture has really impressed me; Alliance has a glass half full mentality and are always questioning what they need to do to grow and improve. It’s very refreshing.

I’m getting the chance to observe projects at different stages of development, understand the challenges in delivering these projects and how we can overcome them – it’s what Alliance calls ‘the art of the possible’. I’m looking forward to the day when I can see a leisure development through from beginning to conclusion.

As a former footballer, I experienced my fair share of good and not so good public sports and leisure facilities as I played my way up through the ranks. I have personal experience of the value of good quality public sector facilities. It’s encouraging to see local authorities investing in centres that make a long term positive impact on local people and communities. I’m thankful that the ukactive’s Future Leaders programme has helped me get to where I am today so I can work with public sector partners to deliver centres that make a real difference to people’s lives.

Connect with Seb on Linkedin

Meet the rest of the Alliance team

Alliance Leisure Starts Work On Two Energy Efficient Leisure Developments in Yorkshire

This month, thanks to a multi-million-pound investment by Harrogate Borough Council, Alliance Leisure begins works on the delivery of two extensive leisure developments that will transform leisure provision for the communities of Harrogate and Knaresborough whilst also supporting the Council’s Net Zero Carbon ambitions.

In Harrogate, The Hydro will benefit from an extension and refurbishment of existing facilities to include a 400sqm fitness suite, a new sauna and steam suite, improved reception, and café plus an overhaul of the existing pool and leisure facilities. The diving structure will also be replaced so it can continue to support and nurture young talent in the way that it has done for Olympians, such as Jack Laugher MBE and Oliver Dingley.

Externally, the building will be remodelled to complement the surrounding environment with landscaping, a reconfigured car park, bicycle storage and electric vehicle charging points.

Energy efficient, air source heat pumps will replace the existing gas boilers and 250 solar panels are already in the process of being installed along with new energy monitoring and control systems.

The project will be carried out in phases with the refurbished pool hall and changing village re-opening in January 2023 and the ‘dry side’ activity space completing by April 2023.

Funding for these game-changing energy efficiency measures is the result in part of a successful bid we prepared for the Council to submit to the government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. Measures are expected to half the carbon footprint of the leisure centre. Good news for the council's net zero targets, good news for residents and ultimately, good news for the planet. These two developments, at an investment of circa £28m, will transform leisure provision for thousands of people. Built to accommodate a wide array of community needs plus the integration of modern, energy efficient measures ensure these facilities will be fit for purpose both now and for many years to come.

James Foley

Commercial Director and strategic project lead, Alliance Leisure

In Knaresborough, a new-build leisure and wellness centre will provide a six-lane 25metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, group cycle studio and café. Outside a large modern play area will be added, with sustainable travel encouraged through the installation of electric car charging points and bicycle storage.

The centre will be built to a BREEAM standard of ‘excellent’ and will incorporate high efficiency building materials, air source heat pumps and solar panels to reduce the carbon footprint. BREEAM is a recognised scheme that provides third-party certification for the assessment of the sustainability performance of individual buildings. Meeting the “excellent” standard of efficiency will support the Council’s ambition to deliver a net zero-carbon economy by 2038.

Work starts on Knaresborough on 26 April and are due to be completed by July 2023.

Both projects will be delivered by Alliance Leisure, working with ISG Construction and GT3 architects through the UK Leisure Framework which is owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure.

Once complete, facilities will be managed by Brimhams Active, a community health and wellbeing company owned by Harrogate Borough Council, dedicated to creating ‘a healthier more active population living longer more independent and happier lives’. Mark Tweedie, Managing Director of Brimhams Active, says: “I’d like to thank Harrogate Borough Council for their bold and brave vision to provide unprecedented levels of investment into leisure and wellbeing across the Harrogate.”