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ISG’s latest research and insight report ‘Sustainable Buildings Monitor: Redefining value’

Download the report here

We recently joined partners from across various sectors to discuss the outcomes and discussion points from ISG‘s latest research on sustainability – see the full webinar HERE.  James Foley, Commercial Director at Alliance Leisure, sat on a panel alongside representatives from the NHS, Welsh Government, defence infrastructure and the private sector, to discuss planning strategies, construction challenges and collaboration opportunities.

What's clear from the report and bringing so many different sectors together is that we all share the same challenges as well as opportunities. Undeniably, sustainability plays a huge role in any modern construction project, and we see this as part of delivering against a wider definition of value, impacting the ESG agenda: Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance.
James Foley
Commercial Director, Alliance Leisure
Download ISG'S REPORT HERE

Alliance Leisure welcomed as APSE’s latest Approved Partner

Alliance Leisure has joined an exclusive list of APSE approved partners selected from a range of suppliers up and down the country.

John Leaver, Head of Marketing at Alliance Leisure, commented:

“Working with over 70 local councils every year and having attended many APSE events, we knew the time was right to apply to become an APSE partner and explore other opportunities together.  I’m sure we can bring some innovative thinking in transforming leisure facilities and share the successful projects we’ve been delivering across the UK.”

As an award-winning leisure development company Alliance has delivered over 220 leisure facilities since its founder and Chief Executive Sarah Watts started the company in 1999.  Those projects represent an investment value of over £300m in leisure infrastructure with projects varying from outdoor parks and play spaces, to large-scale refurbishments and new-build leisure centres.  Alliance Leisure are also the approved development partner for the UK Leisure Framework, which is managed by Denbighshire Leisure, and provides a pre-procured route to market for operators looking to develop their facilities.

“Having enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Alliance Leisure, APSE are delighted to have them on board our Approved Partner scheme. With Alliance Leisure’s customer-first approach, there is no doubt that they will provide a real budget boost and market-savviness for our members, particularly at this time of serious financial uncertainty in the leisure sector.”
Mo Baines
APSE Chief Executive
Read more about our partnership with APSE here

Work begins on £24m community hub integrating leisure, health and support services

Work gets underway this month to replace Sharley Park Leisure Centre in Clay Cross with a new community hub including leisure and health services in a project led by Alliance Leisure.

The £24.1m scheme forms a key part of North East Derbyshire District Council’s Clay Cross Town Investment Plan, which aims to deliver a number of projects to ensure Clay Cross is a thriving place to live and work.

Designed by GT3 Architects, the new Clay Cross Active hub will deliver fit-for-purpose activity, health and support services in one site for the 20,000 residents of Clay Cross and the surrounding area. It aims to provide a space where the public can be active, both physically and mentally, which offers opportunities to learn and develop and a site to improve health and wellbeing and social interaction.

The development will be coordinated by Alliance Leisure through the UK Leisure Framework, which is managed by Denbighshire Leisure, with ISG acting as principle build contractor.

“Through Clay Cross Active, North East Derbyshire District Council is demonstrating how public sector leisure can provide integrated services that meet the social, health and wellbeing needs of the whole community to ensure a successful and sustainable future for public leisure provision”
Julia Goddard
Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure

Built on land next to the existing 1970s built Sharley Park Leisure Centre, the low carbon centre will feature solar PVs and air source heat pumps. Facilities will include a 100-station gym, group cycling studio, four court sports hall as well as a 25m swimming pool with six lanes, plus a learner pool with spectator seating. Designed with accessibility in mind, the changing village will include a Changing Places facility.

A wellness suite installed with Innerva power-assisted equipment arranged in a 12-station circuit will cater for people of all fitness levels, particularly those who are less mobile, suffering from illness, or who are undergoing post-operative rehabilitation.

Other facilities will include soft play, a TAGactive indoor adventure play area, treatment rooms, a multi-purpose room for community activities and a café with a viewing gallery for the swimming pool.

Outside, the large park will be reinvigorated with social areas, improved play equipment, a full size 3G floodlit pitch plus a walking/cycle route around the park’s one mile perimeter.

Medical services will be delivered from the new hub, while organisations such as Citizens Advice will also operate from the centre.

“This will be a new facility for the local community that will be unrivalled within the area. The setting for the Centre is ideal to offer a wider external appreciation for sports in addition to the state-of-the-art facilities that the Centre will offer. The journey began with our Pre-Construction team and Alliance and will finish with a first-class facility delivered by Sean Smithson, Project Manager and his team. We look forward to the day when members of the public can use the facility and enjoy everything that our team has worked so hard to create.”
Craig Johnson
Project Manager, ISG
“We have chosen Alliance Leisure as our delivery partner due to their specialist leisure expertise and the efficient procurement route offered by the UK Leisure Framework. We have worked successfully with Alliance on a number of other projects across our leisure portfolio and look forward to working together again on Clay Cross Active.”
Chris Mills
Assistant Director for Leisure at North East Derbyshire District Council

Pictured: Cllr Alex Dale, Leader of North East Derbyshire District Council (centre) surrounded by local Cllr’s, NEDDC officers and delivery partners for the Clay Cross Active leisure hub.

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Derby Football Hub gets ready for kick-off

Plans to progress the development of a proposed community grassroots football and sport hub on Derby Racecourse will be discussed at next week’s Cabinet meeting.

The proposed Hub would seek to address the shortfall in the city’s football pitch provision and would include the development of three new full-size 3G football turf pitches (FTPs) on the site, as well as the refurbishment of an existing FTP and a new changing pavilion including a community café and meeting space.

In addition to the improved pitch provision, the Hub development would include increased parking spaces as well as improved entry and exit to the site. Derby City Council’s Cabinet are looking to approve a total budget of £11.902m to enable the development to kick off, with funding proposed from the Council alongside a pending funding decision from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation.

The pitch works would be delivered by a specialist contractor of the Football Foundation while the pavilion and car park aspects would be delivered by Alliance Leisure with plans for work to start onsite in Spring 2023.

Universal Civils have been appointed as the contractor for the scheme, with Abacus acting as project managers and Bradshaw Gass & Hope as architects. 

A decision will be made on the plans at February’s Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 15 February.

We're delighted to be coordinating this project that brings together lots of partners to provide a first-class facility for the local community.
Will Gardner
Business Development Manager, Alliance Leisure
This project is a worthy investment for the Council and will give our communities the grassroots football facilities they deserve. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the Football Hub take shape over the coming months.
Councillor Jerry Pearce
Derby City Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Public Spaces and Leisure
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Public Sector Leisure Receives ‘Levelling Up’ Investment Boost

Last month, the government announced more than £300 million will be injected into leisure and wellbeing developments, thanks to a number of successful Levelling Up Fund (LUF) bids. The investment allocation is part of a total £2.1 billion round two ‘levelling up’ investment fund introduced to help tackle regional inequalities.

This news is most welcome. Still too much of the UK's leisure stock is tired and struggling to meet the modern needs of the communities it serves. This funding will unlock opportunities for those councils who submitted successful bids to develop new active environment in tune with modern day community needs. This will help to deliver against much wider objectives such as creating more active populations through better engagement with disengaged groups, tackling health inequalities and promoting community cohesion. £300 million is an encouraging step in the right direction, but we know more investment is needed to maintain sustainable public sector provision. It is also encouraging to hear that the government intends this round of investment to be followed by a third round.
Paul Cluett
Paul Cluett
Managing Director, Alliance Leisure

One of the projects to benefit from round 2 of  LUF is the building of a new wellbeing hub in Caerphilly, Wales, courtesy of a successful bid to the tune of £20 million by Caerphilly County Borough Council supported by Alliance Leisure and Mutual Ventures.

The new facility, to be located in the heart of Caerphilly, will become the flagship leisure and wellbeing hub for the whole county borough. This project is due to be delivered by Alliance Leisure , with ISG named as the principal construction partner, Watson Batty as architects and Hadron Consulting taking care of project management, and is expected to complete by March 2025.

In addition to the investment from LUF, Caerphilly County Council is also contributing more than £13 million from its own reserves towards the new facility, creating a total funding pot of more than £33 million.  The development will be procured through the UK Leisure Framework, which is owned and managed by Denbighshire Leisure.

The wellbeing hub will include a swimming pool, fitness suite, active play centre for children and teenagers, spa and wellbeing facilities, a multi-purpose sports hall, catering facilities and several multi-use community rooms to support health, wellbeing and community cohesion.

This is fantastic news and demonstrates our vision and ambition to deliver major projects that will regenerate our communities and result in positive change for local residents.
Cllr Sean Morgan
Caerphilly Council Leader

The development is a key part of the council’s wider Sport and Active Recreation Strategy which aims to get more people, more active, more often. It also forms part of a major regeneration blueprint for Caerphilly town centre called the Caerphilly 2035 Place Making Plan – as well as the wider £500+ million place shaping programme for the wider county borough.

Alliance Leisure are already involved in the delivery of several other leisure projects made possible by the first round of LUF, including Clay Cross Active, a £24m new-build development on behalf of North East Derbyshire District Council, and Mablethorpe Leisure and Learning Hub which is in construction and due to open in the summer of 2024.

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£12m sports facility breaks ground

Former England footballer Teddy Sheringham and a host of partners came together to officially break ground and sign the steel beams on the new £12m state-of-the-art sports facility at Parsloes Park in Dagenham.

The development will feature a gym, fitness studio, a café, and meeting/multi-use rooms, as well as providing new shower and changing facilities to support 16 grass

The project is being funded by a £6.2million grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, as well as a £6.1million investment from Barking and Dagenham Council. The project has also received contributions from the London Marathon Charitable Trust and The Greater London Authority.

The new sports centre is being delivered by specialist leisure developer Alliance Leisure and their partners at Etec Group, Varsity Consulting and Bradshaw, Gass & Hope LLP, after being procured via the UK Leisure Framework, which is managed by Denbighshire Leisure.

The Sports Hub will be operated by the charity, Leisure United on behalf of the National Football Trust itself a registered charity.

It's fantastic to see this development starting to take shape and when finished it will offer state-of-the-art community and sports facilities for people to take advantage of. It's no secret that our borough has a rich, historic connection to football – we're the birthplace of England's only World Cup winning manager and captain – so it's only right that we have a modern, purpose-built hub that can hopefully one day create even more success stories.
Councillor Saima Ashraf
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement at Barking and Dagenham Council
Once complete, this purpose-built sports facility will become an integral part of community life and a first-class facility for a range of sports clubs. We‘re proud to be working alongside the council and our partners to deliver this project that not only supports players but also provides a venue for schools and grassroot sports clubs to hold meetings and education sessions.
Greg Walker
Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure
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Work Begins On Pitch Developments in Ceredigion

Work has begun on new 3G pitch developments across three sites in Ceredigion, worth £794,000.

Alliance Leisure’s first venture with Ceredigion County Council, these three pitches are replacing existing pitches in two leisure centres and a primary school to provide higher quality surfaces which are, in cases, specifically tailored to the highest standards in professional sport.

The pitches at Cardigan Leisure Centre and Synod Primary School have been designed to meet Welsh Rugby Union standards, as well as also meeting FIFA Quality standards. These sites will have a new 60mm 3G surface implemented, as well as an integrated shock pad.

The final 3G pitch at Lampeter Leisure Centre is also getting a total refresh, which is tailored to standards from the Fédération Internationale de Hockey. This will include a complete resurfacing of the sand dressed hockey pitch.

The projects were procured using the UK Leisure Framework, and will be carried out by the expert teams from Surfacing Standards Ltd. and South Wales Sports Grounds.

Alliance Leisure are delighted to support the creation of facilities that will provide communities in Ceredigion with top-quality surfaces on which they can play all manner of sports and keep active.

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Alliance Leisure Hands Over £7 Million 365-Day Activity Hub In Brentwood

Brentwood Borough Council has officially opened a new, all year round activity hub which has transformed an under-utilised recreation ground into an active, accessible, environment that will encourage everyone in the community to move more.

The £7 million scheme to transform King George’s Playing Fields in Brentwood, began in January 2021 and has been delivered by Alliance Leisure, Lead Development Contractor on the UK leisure Framework, owned by Denbighshire Leisure.

The project forms part of the council’s 10-year Leisure Strategy. Running until 2028, the strategy outlines the council’s vision for a high quality, accessible, affordable and financially sustainable sport and leisure provision which delivers a mix of facilities and services that will service the diverse needs of residents both now and in the future.

The transformation of King George’s Playing Fields is an important part of Brentwood Borough Council’s ambitions to future-proof its leisure and recreation facilities. This project is a prime example of how to re-think public leisure provision, creating accessible and financially sustainable facilities that will ensure a successful future for this much loved park, while improving the health and wellbeing of local people.

Ruth Ripsher
Business Development Manager, Alliance Leisure

Creating a diverse, sustainable leisure provision

Prior to this investment, the recreation ground already offered a variety of sports and recreation facilities including a children’s play area, skate park, football and rugby pitches, bowls greens, a 1970’s pavilion used by Hartswood Golf Club and a privately-run crazy golf course.

The purpose of the development has been focused on supporting the borough’s anticipated housing growth and the fulfilment of an ambition to increase participation in physical activity, especially amongst young people.

Following consultation with key stakeholders and the wider public, Alliance Leisure, working through the UK Leisure Framework with a dedicated supply chain of leisure specialists, has delivered a mix of facilities, both inside and outside of a new-build pavilion, that balances financial viability for the council with addressing the leisure needs of residents.

Planning for the redevelopment was secured at the end of 2019, but the pandemic meant that construction was delayed. Works finally got underway in January 2021 with most of the development opening to the public on 11th March 2022. 

Accessible sport and physical activity for everyone

The project centrepiece is an impressive new pavilion which replaces a building previously occupied mainly by Hartswood Golf Club. Built in the 1970s, the structure required significant work to upgrade the site and transform the provision into a multi-purpose venue that would inspire and engage a much wider segment of the community.

Designed by Saunders Boston Architects and built by ISG, the new building, named the Hartswood Pavilion – is located adjacent to the current pavilion which is due to be demolished now that the new building is complete.  It is a two-story structure which has been sunken into the ground reducing its impact on the openness of the green belt and carefully considered composite cladding applied to the building exterior, which ensures it blends into its surroundings, complementing rather than defining the natural environment. The footprint of the new Pavillion is also larger than the original enabling it to serve both the golf club membership and the wider public with an extended range of facilities, including the park’s first indoor play provision.

The high quality, flexible space includes new changing rooms, toilet and showers for local rugby and football teams, a golf clubhouse and Golf Pro Shop, as well as a bar with a terrace providing far reaching views of the golf course, bowls club and surrounds. Other facilities include a flexible, multi-purpose room, a Changing Places facility, a café, a two-storey soft play facility designed and delivered by Play Revolution and a sensory room providing a safe therapeutic space to help individuals regulate, develop and engage their senses as their interact with and explore the environment around them.

The new pavilion also features TAGactive, an indoor immersive game-based obstacle course, also from Play Revolution, which can be enjoyed as an individual or with friends and family. The TAGactive arena features a number of challenges, including net climbs, cargo tunnels and ball pools, all of which have a number of Tags within them which participants must tap with a sensor on their wrist. The more difficult the Tag to reach, the more points achieved.  

Driving revenue for a sustainable future

Working through the UK Leisure Framework, the priority, in terms of design and delivery, was to create a destination everyone in the community could utilise both now and in the future. To achieve this, extensive feasibility studies were conducted prior to build, matching facility provision to latent demand. It was also important not to exclude any segments of the community  due to accessibility or cost, hence the diverse mix of paid and free facilities supported by services that promote inclusion and access for those living with mobility issues and other disabilities.

Supplementing the indoor provision are external facilities including an adventure play area. Designed by Kompan for children aged eight and above, the facility has a range of challenging structures – the highest of which measures circa 10m – and includes slides, towers and nets. Opening to the public in April 2022, all sessions are 55 minutes long.

Also opening in April  2022 is a new, accessible splash pad. Developed on the footprint of the park’s former paddling pools, which were removed in 2017 for health and safety reasons, the splash pad from Ustigate is supported by a Changing Places facility, new toilets and a kiosk. The new space features nature themed aquatic play structures and a variety of ground water jets such as sidewinders, directional jets and a cylinder spray to provide a wide range of play opportunities.

Both the splash pad and climbing facility are chargeable, while the park’s recently improved junior and toddler play areas are free of charge. The whole area is also served by a network of walking and cycling trails to encourage active travel.

Brentwood Borough Council has invested more than £7m in the development of these facilities so that King George's Playing Fields has activities all year round. The playing fields play a pivotal part in helping our community to improve their health and wellbeing.
We were also committed to providing accessible facilities, such as the new splash pad, introducing two new changing places facilities, a new sensory room as well as brand new soft play and the TAGactive facilities.
In addition to the facilities in the new pavilion building, the Council has also invested in the free outdoor play areas which not only makes for an exciting day out, but also has a huge range of challenging structures and high and lower level areas to be explored by adventurous children.
As the weather starts to warm up, it is going to be great to see families enjoying all these new activities.
Councillor Cliff Poppy
Brentwood Borough Council’s Chair of Community and Health Committee

Moving forwards, the site will be operated by Everyone Active on behalf of the Brentwood Borough Council. Everyone Active is Part of Sports and Leisure Management Ltd and is the longest-established leisure contractor in the UK. Duncan Jefford, Regional Director at Everyone Active, comments: “We’re delighted to be welcomed into the district’s community to continue our partnership with the council by managing the new King George’s Playing Fields alongside The Brentwood Centre.

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Alliance Leisure & TA6 Partner with Swim England

Alliance Leisure & TA6 Partner with Swim England

Alliance Leisure and TA6 have launched a strategic partnership with Swim England to encourage the development of more inspiring and sustainable pools and wet-side facilities for local communities. 

“Swimming pools can be under-utilised and inefficient in terms of the return on investment but this does not need to be the case. When thoughtfully designed, well programmed and equipped, these spaces become valuable community assets that deliver a viable return for local authorities,” says Paul Woodford, Director of Marketing and Partnerships at TA6 powered by Alliance Leisure.

As the official National Governing Body for swimming in England, Swim England has the insight and experience to optimise pool environments, coupled with a strategic plan to encourage more people to swim. Working together under this new strategic partnership, Alliance will be able to draw on this expertise to find the best solution for local authorities and leisure trusts when developing new facilities or upgrading their existing stock.

“Swimming is an inclusive activity that creates opportunities for engagement that few other facilities can match, but only with the right design, workforce programming and management. As the client services arm of Alliance Leisure, TA6 will work with Swim England to ensure the programming and technology implemented in pools and wet-side projects reflect the bespoke needs of the local population, delivering a financially sustainable service that delivers community value.”

Natalie McGuire, Senior Engagement Manager at Swim England who has been fundamental to developing this collaborative approach, said:

“Working with Alliance Leisure and TA6 to actively apply Swim England’s insight, knowledge and expertise provides leisure operators with a tested solution for commercial success.

This partnership is built, not only as a result of complementary products and services but through the alignment of shared values and cultures. We are delighted to be working alongside a sector leader who shares our passion for people first thinking. Together we look to reimagine aquatic provision both in terms of capital development and commercial delivery.”

ABOUT US

We are the UK’s leading leisure development partner, supporting local authorities that want to improve or expand the leisure, heritage and cultural facilities and services provided to their local communities.

CONTACT

Alliance Leisure
2430/2440 The Quadrant
Aztec West
Bristol
BS32 4AQ

Tel: 01454 877558
Email: info@allianceleisure.co.uk

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