How We Work

Our approach to local authority leisure developments, honed over 25 years, has been developed to complement the pressures and requirements faced by local authorities, ensuring a smooth and thorough development process to complete your project.

Working With a Development Partner

Alliance Leisure provides a unique complete leisure development solution, from initial feasibility and business planning through to design, build, and funding if required. We also has the capability to provide ongoing support and partnership through TA6 (our in-house division delivering client service and marketing support), if required, to assist our clients achieve their transformation successfully.
A key benefit to our approach is the management and mitigation of risk. We will enter into contract with you to deliver the project at an agreed sum. We will also enter into the building contract, giving protection should there be any cost overruns (subject to an apportioned risk register).
Undertaking a leisure development typically involves finding and co-ordinating several companies, but with Alliance Leisure you will have one agreement, one relationship. We will look to absorb project headaches, supporting you through the project delivery process in an efficient and effective manner.

RIBA-Aligned Approach

Our approach to projects is aligned with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Plan of Work 2020, ensuring a clear, logical, and thorough progression for you; our client, us, and our supply chain.

What makes Alliance Leisure different is the breadth of our support – we work alongside our clients from RIBA 0, Strategic Definition, right through to RIBA 7, Use, and beyond.

Browse how we approach the RIBA stages, and the ways in which we support our clients through them.

RIBA 0-2

The first, essential, stage of any Alliance project is to define our client’s requirements, learn about the site, local demographic, competition, provide opportunity analysis and development recommendations, and indicative designs and budgets for our proposed plans.

A Project Questionnaire and Access Agreement will be completed at this stage to register the project on the UK Leisure Framework and to determine the scope of pre-construction services.

Other steps here may include:

Site assessment
Supply / demand and competition analysis
Opportunity analysis
Discovery workshops
Contractor selection and onboarding
Local supply chain analysis
Indicative designs and capital costs presented
Sustainability workshop
Affordability calculated
Draft social value targets

RIBA 2-3

This stage requires a relatively low proportion of fees (compared to total project value). It provides an interim step from project brief development and agreement before progressing to the next phase of the project, to provide more confidence in the capital investment required, and includes steps such as:

Essential build surveys
Production of outline structural and MEP strategies
Layout designs completed appropriate level for stage
High-level cost plan presented
Agree social value targets
Presentation of Strategic Project Programme

Looking ahead to the project's completion, our embedded support team, TA6, also work their magic at this stage to get a head-start on a successful launch and project legacy through:

Brand development
Pricing strategy
Systems review
Stakeholder consultations and community engagement
Development of microsites

RIBA 3-4

At the completion of this work, the client will receive a full suite of Development Proposals including Principal Contractor, Equipment, FFE, Project Management and associated services, including:

Development Management Agreement
Principal Contractor proposals
Equipment and FFE proposals
Capital Investment Summary
Collateral Warranties
Project Programme
Risk Register
Fixed Contract Sum

RIBA 4-5

Once we reach this stage, final preparations for project mobilisation will be put in place. The Development Management Agreement (DMA) will become the overarching document between Alliance Leisure and the client for delivery of the project, detailing the final project building and equipment costs and referencing the building contract. Typically work would be contracted using one of the Joint Contract Tribunal (JCT) or (SBCC) UKLF suite of documents.

Alliance Leisure will enter into a delivery contract and also the build contract
Alliance will be the Employer in the building contract, delivering this on behalf of the client team via a standard suite of UK Leisure Framework approved documents
Warranties are provided by the Building Contractor and all significant sub-contractors and consultants with the client being named as beneficiary
The timescale will be committed

RIBA 5

During this stage Alliance Leisure will remain hands-on within the project to ensure its success. An Employer’s Agent (EA) will be employed for both the pre-construction and construction phases for technical management of the project. All these tasks will be overseen by Alliance Leisure and the client can have as much input into these processes as they require.

Other actions at this stage include:

Regular Project Team Meetings scheduled
Regular site visits by Alliance Leisure
Change Control and Instruction Process established
Regular quality and financial reporting
Environmental monitoring
Snagging lists prepared
Final account agreed with main contractor

This is another key stage for TA6 as well, as preparations are made for the opening:

Site signage created
Video and photography captured
KPI monitoring implemented
Social media management arranged
PR arranged
Assistance with staff recruitment

RIBA 6

Alliance Leisure are fully aware of the often-underestimated importance of coordinating plans for the end of construction to facilitate a successful handover. As your Development Partner, we lead and support the planning of these final activities at the earliest opportunity and offer bespoke assistance and solutions to ensure the most successful opening period possible.

The steps involved here include:

Launch plan finalised at earliest opportunity
Equipment installed
Practical completion
Soft completion
Analyse adherence to social value objectives

TA6 will also be working closely with you at this point on the following activities to boost your project's launch:

Embedded impact sales team
Digital advertising
Out-of-home advertising
Staff training

RIBA 7

We remain a lifetime pillar of support following the completion of your project, and many of our clients retain the services of TA6 to strengthen their marketing activities and ensure the enduring success of their investment.

To ensure our projects succeed in fulfilling their original brief and objectives we remain in touch with clients to gather performance data and end-user feedback.

A Secure and Efficient Procurement Process: The UK Leisure Framework

After an OJEU-compliant competitive tendering process, Alliance Leisure were appointed as lead development partner of the UK Leisure Framework, which allows for the direct appointment of ALS as a development partner for the scoping, design, refurbishment, construction and the development of sport, leisure, and other cultural facilities across the UK public sector.

Further, appointing Alliance Leisure via the UK Leisure Framework enables us to activate our extensive, trusted supply chain, allowing the project to progress without the hassle of tendering and procuring a host of separate suppliers.

Click to learn more about the UK Leisure Framework

Local Authority Focus

Thanks to over 25 years of working with local authorities to improve their leisure facilities, we are acutely aware of some of the unique challenges and requirements faced by officers and councillors alike.

Browse our pages below to find out more about us from the point of view of your position within your local authority.

I'm an officer

I'm a councillor

I'm in procurement

I'm in a leisure team

Can we help you with a leisure project?

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