Wigan set for £187m leisure complex
by Pete Hayman | 29 Jun 2009
Plans for a £187m leisure and public services complex in Wigan, Greater Manchester, have been given the green light after the local authority reached an agreement with private sector partners.
Construction work on the new Wigan Life Centre, which will be located on the site of the former Wigan International Pool, is expected to get underway in early July after Wigan Council's project team secured a deal with the Access consortium. Facilities at the new complex, which will be funded using £77m of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits, will include a new 25m swimming pool and a central library incorporating separate children's and teenage areas.
Three zones - Healthy Living, Information and Learning and Neighbourhoods - will also be established as part of the new venue to incorporate a range of public services, including Wigan Council, NHS Ashton and Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust. The Access consortium is a joint venture between Hochtief PP Solutions and Morgan Sindall Investments, which will be responsible for the construction and operation of the Wigan Life Centre for a 28-year period.
Morgan Sindall's construction business, Morgan Ashurst, will design and build the new facility while Morgan Professional Services will provide civil, structural and engineering design services. Astudio and LCE Architects are also involved with the design of the complex. Wigan Council leader, Lord Peter Smith, said: "Wigan Council and its partners have been at the forefront of bringing first rate regeneration projects to our borough such as the Grand Arcade and Leigh Sports Village. The Wigan Life Centre really is the icing in the cake.
"By joining up public services in this way we will be able to help many more people in our borough. The Wigan Life Centre is one of the most ambitious council projects ever undertaken in the UK and we have been able to prove beyond doubt we are capable of delivering it successfully." Wigan Life Centre is scheduled to open in December 2011.
Plans for a £187m leisure and public services complex in Wigan, Greater Manchester, have been given the green light after the local authority reached an agreement with private sector partners. Construction work on the new Wigan Life Centre, which will be located on the site of the former Wigan International Pool, is expected to get underway in early July after Wigan Council's project team secured a deal with the Access
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