Willmott Dixon has been awarded a £15.9m contract to develop a new leisure centre in Bingham, Nottingham, on behalf of Rushcliffe Borough Council.

The development will see the creation of a new two-storey leisure centre featuring two swimming pools, a fitness gym, workout studios and adjacent community hall with staging and seating.

The new facility will be built in line with the Bingham Masterplan and will also include a commercial office block, specifically designed to support local start-up businesses. The project also aligns with the Bingham Growth Board’s aspirations to develop the site, located in Chapel Lane, as a connection between the current town centre and the new housing developments in the north of the town.

This contract win sees Willmott Dixon expand upon its ten active leisure sites across the UK, which result in a combined value of £264m, with support from key partners Parkwood Leisure, Bingham Town Council and funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) subject to signing grant funding agreement and the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Nick Heath, director of delivery at Willmott Dixon, said:

“We are delighted to announce our collaboration with Rushcliffe Borough Council to deliver this high-quality leisure centre facility in Bingham. The facility will support the local community through the creation of jobs, both within the construction phase and once the project has been completed, and will contribute considerably to the Bingham Masterplan’s ambitions, acting as a key conduit to connect the current town to the new local housing developments.

“As a UK Active strategic partner, this contract win expands on our 86 years’ experience in delivering leisure facilities in public and private settings, having delivered more than 160 leisure facilities in the past 11 years.”

Procured through the Procure Partnerships Framework, the 5,500 square metre development, which is due to start on site this month, will be known as Bingham Arena, with the adjacent office block being named the Bingham Enterprise Centre.

The Bingham Enterprise Business comprises of six ground-floor offices and six also on the first floor, as well as a breakout area, meeting room and shared working space.

The Bingham Arena will feature a 25-metre six-lane swimming pool with seating for 330 spectators to accommodate swimming competitions and will provide a valuable resource for local schools and swimming groups. The facility also includes a 13 x 7-metre learning pool, a café, two exercise studios, a spin studio, a fitness gym and changing room facilities, as well as a 207-space car park with 12 additional accessible spaces. The development also includes a 260 square metre community hall, which can accommodate 300 people and features a fixed stage area with dedicated changing facilities, a control room, kitchen and storage.

A highlighting feature of this development is the innovative Myrtha Pool technology, a steel-framed pool in comparison to a traditional concrete solution. By optimising the Myrtha Pool technology, Willmott Dixon will be able to provide Rushcliffe Borough Council with a more cost-efficient solution that will support a shorter build programme for the development and will result in a safer swimming pool installation process.

Nick added:

“The use of this state-of-the-art technology will not only result in a quicker installation. But will also mean that the development will be stronger and more environmentally friendly. By using this building technique, we will see a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to a traditional swimming pool build. The pool will also have added strength and resistance to chemicals and corrosives needed in a pool environment due to its chromium-rich alloy, which in turn will offer a longer life span for our customer.

“Alongside the environmental benefits brought by the innovative pool solution, we will also be supporting this development with our Energy Synergy service. This service assists us in working collaboratively with our customers, throughout the full build process, to ensure their facility performs against its design and achieves their energy efficiency goals. By optimising this service Rushcliffe Borough Council can ensure that their new facility will perform to the best of its ability, supporting the council’s ambitions of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.”

Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council Cllr Simon Robinson said:

“By next year a new leisure centre and business focal point for Bingham will be created.

“We’re delighted Henry Riley and Willmott Dixon are joining us to complete this hugely significant project to provide contemporary facilities Bingham’s growing populations can be proud of. The environment is one of our key priorities and these wonderful new facilities will encompass so much of what we aim to achieve with even greener, more efficient venues that will benefit our local communities.

“It’s vital we take the opportunity to build new facilities with our fellow Carbon Clever project in mind and set an example for others to follow in investing in new infrastructure in the right way.”

Conor Neild-Crabb from Procure Partnerships Framework said:

“We’re delighted to be supporting Rushcliffe Borough Council at Bingham Leisure Centre and we’re really looking forward to seeing the scheme take shape over the coming months. Improving leisure provision nationally with the benefits to our wellbeing that physical activity brings will be a key part of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Willmott Dixon has fantastic experience in the leisure sector, which shone through during the procurement process. We’re sure they will create an enduring hub for the community that can bring people together again post-pandemic.”

As part of Willmott Dixon’s on-going commitment to leaving a lasting legacy in the communities it operates within, the contractor has committed to investing five percent of this project spend back into local community activities with a further five percent being invested in local spend and labour costs.

Nick added:

“As with all our developments, we seek to positively improve the lives of as many local residents as possible. During this project, our teams will be working with multiple social enterprises including Streetwise, to support with grounds maintenance and landscaping, and Radiant Cleaners, to support the creation of additional jobs within the community.

“Our team will also be meeting with local stakeholders to help profile the benefits of the development, as well as supporting the career prospects of young people by working in collaboration with the Trent Bridge Community Trust and expanding on our long-standing relationship with Toot Hill School, to give children the opportunity to visit the construction site for educational tours once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.”

Willmott Dixon is highly experienced in delivering leisure centre facilities having, recently completed on site at the award-winning £37m Sports and Wellness Hub at the University of Warwick; a development that has subsequently gone on to become the most energy-efficient leisure centre in the UK.

The Bingham Arena and Bingham Enterprise Centre project is expected to complete in May 2022.