Contractor appointed for phase 1 of £16 million neighbourhood hub project in Warrington

Construction, which is set to begin on phase 1 of the £16 million project at the start of next month, will revamp the centre into a state-of-the-art integrated facility which will provide leisure, health and cultural services for the people of west Warrington.

The dementia friendly facility will include a fitness suite, swimming pools, sports hall, tennis courts, 3G pitch, GP surgeries, library, cafe and health and wellbeing facilities including a spa, with phase 1 set to open to the public in Autumn 2016.

More than 700 local residents took part in consultation exercises and in excess of 60 of their suggestions have been incorporated into the design of the hub. The building designs have been made dementia friendly to support local need.

BAM’s national charity partner is the Alzheimer’s Society and the partnership provides opportunities for the team to fully embrace with, and create, a true dementia friendly environment for local people.

Jan Souness, Managing Director at LiveWire, said: ‘We are pleased to announce the appointment of BAM as the contractor to carry out the development of the existing Great Sankey Leisure Centre to transform it into a modern integrated facility for the whole community. BAM have a wealth of experience in delivering large construction projects and LiveWire are looking forward to working with them to ensure the build meets the needs of the ageing popular in the area.’

Ian Fleming, Construction Director at BAM, said: ‘It’s very important to us to deliver this project successfully for the whole community, and not just to build a fantastic facility but to make the opportunity of the build itself into a positive experience for them. We’re really looking forward to engaging people and creating something that will truly enhance the lives of everybody who lives here.’

BAM have recently delivered significant projects in the North West, including Manchester City Football Academy, The National Graphene Institute and the UTC@MediaCityUK, and are on site building No 1 Spinningfields in Manchester, The Materials Innovation Factory for the University of Liverpool and ongoing works at Aintree Hospital.

To find out more information about the development, and to keep up to date with the latest news, visit www.greatsankeyneighbourhoodhub.co.uk.

LiveWire is a Community Interest Company (CIC) that has been managing leisure, library and lifestyle services in Warrington since May 2012. The organisation is now the largest provider of leisure and library facilities in the town, operating two neighbourhood hubs, four leisure centres, and 11 libraries which have attracted more than three million visitors over the last year.

LiveWire strives to promote a healthy lifestyle, increased participation in activities whilst encouraging reading and learning through the use of free access to books, IT suites and the internet. They provide value for money leisure memberships and are committed to ensuring facilities and activities are accessible for all members of the community.

Technical support for the project is provided by colleagues from Mpulse and Walker Simpson Architects.