Sands Centre

In support of this project, our team was involved from an early stage when we reviewed and built upon the business case before steering the project through design, planning and procurement.

The events centre needed to remain operational throughout construction, requiring steps to be taken to minimise disruption. We worked proactively with the council, its stakeholders, the design team and the contractor to instil an ethos of collaboration and communication when discussing designs and agreeing construction stage logistics.

Significant budget pressures were encountered during the feasibility stage and then during the detailed design stage, requiring significant efforts to be made to control costs.

Through a series of stakeholder engagement activities, we and the wider team proactively responded to queries from gym members and groups who use the centre, and from people living near the centre ahead of the planning application being submitted. Comments were received and changes were incorporated, some of which proved to be commercially viable to the leisure centre operator.

Our approach also included explaining where stakeholder requests were made that could not be incorporated, such as the inclusion of a climbing wall or for the main pool tank to have a constant depth of 2m.

Focusing on cost efficiency, we interrogated the contractor's costs to identify where savings could be made without compromising the brief or the mix of facilities provided. For example, a section of the frame was changed from a glulam system to structural steel to save costs.

Sharing ground with an events space and connected by a bespoke internal street with a cafe, The Sands Centre is a dynamic offering for the local and regional community. The space encompasses three bars, one of which overlooks the River Eden, and the exercise studios can also be converted for use as conference facilities.

As the centre is located within a level 3 flood zone, close collaboration between the project team was crucial to ensure flood resilience throughout design and construction. Along with the council and Wates Construction, we worked closely with the Environment Agency on a separate planned project that was being undertaken at the same time, which raised the height of the flood defence wall surrounding The Sands Centre.

The project was imbued with social value in the construction programme, with local employment opportunities maximised through the supply chain alongside training for young people.