by Pete Hayman | 14 May 2009

Plans for the £48m development of a new leisure complex on the site of the Tropicana centre in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, have been put on hold until early 2010 due to the recession. The Lifestation@Tropicana project, which was approved by North Somerset Council's (NSC) West Area planning committee in October, had been set to get underway later this year as part of a wider scheme to revamp the town's seafront. However,

by Pete Hayman | 14 May 2009

UEFA president Michel Platini has told the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) that Kiev could lose the right to host the Euro 2012 final if infrastructure issues are not addressed by 30 November. Ukraine is due to co-host the tournament with Poland, and the warning follows an announcement by European football's governing body that the Polish cities of Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw and Wroclaw, have all been confirmed as host cities.

by Tom Walker | 14 May 2009

A new visitor attraction, based on the English Premiership football club Manchester United, has opened at The Venetian Macao-Resort-hotel in the Chinese special administrative region of Macau. The £1.5m, 1,000sq m indoor attraction was designed by UK-based MET Studio. The walk-through attraction offers guests a number of interactive stations as well as exhibits portraying the history of the club. Facilities at the attraction also include a large retail area.

by Pete Hayman | 14 May 2009

A new £25m visitor centre is set to be built at Stonehenge in Wiltshire after a scheme to revitalise the World Heritage Site was provisionally given the green light by the government. Work will now commence on drawing up a planning application for the new centre, which is to be located at Airman's Corner following recommendations by the Stonehenge Project Board - chaired by culture minister Barbara Follett and transport

by Pete Hayman | 13 May 2009

A new £4.3m multi-purpose leisure complex in Paddington, London, which will be the only facility in the area to be accredited by the Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI), is to open this summer. Westminster City Council hopes that the 1,800sq m (19,375sq ft) Little Venice Sports Centre will help to tackle the borough’s health inequalities by making its facilities fully accessible to customers with physical disabilities and learning difficulties, as well

by Tom Walker | 11 May 2009

London-based EPR architects have submitted a detailed planning application to Bromley Council for a four-star hotel at the Biggin Hill Airport in south east London. EPR has provided designs for a 76-room hotel with a restaurant at the airport, which played a major role as an RAF base in the Battle Of Britain during WWII. Biggin Hill Airport managing director Peter Lonergan said the airport is in "desperate need of

by Pete Hayman | 11 May 2009

Nearly a quarter of all council-owned buildings across Scotland, including sports centres and museums, are not fit for purpose, according to a new report by the Scottish public spending watchdog, Audit Scotland. The study - Asset management in Local Government in Scotland - examined the maintenance and management of more than 12,000 properties across the country, with one in four found to be in poor or bad condition. Audit Scotland

by Pete Hayman | 11 May 2009

Birmingham City Council (BCC) has unveiled new plans for the construction of the city's first urban park for 125 years, despite missing out on Lottery funding for the scheme two years ago. The council has now decided to fund the £11m project itself, which will see the creation of an 8-acre (3.2-hectare) area of parkland between the city's Moor Street railway station and Eastside Locks. Recreational space, formal gardens and

by Pete Hayman | 11 May 2009

A council committee has narrowly voted in favour of proposals put forward by Poole Town Football Club (PTFC) for the construction of new facilities at Branksome Recreation Ground. The plans, which will see the football club relocate from its current Tatnam Park home, will now be considered by the the Borough of Poole Council's (BPC) cabinet on 2 June following council's environment overview and scrutiny committee's decision. Branksome Recreation Ground's

by Pete Hayman | 08 May 2009

Southampton's Mayflower Theatre is set to undergo an extensive £1.6m refurbishment this summer in a bid to upgrade the venue's backstage and production facilities. The theatre will close for 12 weeks between June and August in order to allow the work to be carried out, although the box office and its conference and meeting room facilities will operate as normal. It is expected that the new backstage area, which will

by Pete Hayman | 05 May 2009

Plans to create a multi-million pound indoor winter sports resort on the site of a former quarry at Great Blakenham, near Ipswich, Suffolk, could be delayed by another two years due to a planning technicality. Developer Onslow Suffolk was finally given the green light for the new £350m SnOasis complex by communities secretary Hazel Blears in November last year, nearly three years after predecessor Ruth Kelly called in the scheme.

by Tom Walker | 01 May 2009

Leisure entrepreneurs Mike Aikman and Jason Scott have opened their latest venture, called The Saint, in the Scottish capital. Located on St. Stephen Street in the centre of Edinburgh, The Saint has been launched as a late-night bar aiming to attract the more affluent revellers. Offering a number of different wines by the glass, the bar also has a large selection of beers from across the globe, along with wide

by Tom Walker | 01 May 2009

Redevelopment work on the Knock Castle hotel and spa in Crieff, Perthshire, has reached the second phase. The £1.5m (1.69m euro, US$2.26m) revamp's second phase included the creation of a dedicated spa treatment wing, housing treatment rooms as well as a relaxation area. The leisure area containing the swimming pool, spa pool and steam room area was also upgraded. Other improvements completed during the second phase included the addition of

by Tom Walker | 01 May 2009

Construction work on the £35m Aylesbury Waterside Theatre has reached topping out stage. The concept for the theatre, scheduled to open next year, was developed by Aylesbury Vale District Council and theatre designers RHWL Arts Team. The venue will have a 1,200-seat auditorium that can be converted into a 1,800-capacity hall for standing events, and a 225-seat suite for smaller events including dance, drama, meetings and conferences. The new theatre,

by Caroline Wilkinson | 01 May 2009

New plans for the radical mixed-use redevelopment of London's Grade II-listed Commonwealth Institute building in Holland Park have angered heritage groups. The designs have been submitted to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council (RBK&C) by the Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), with the intention of converting the building into a possible new home for the Design Museum. The redevelopment, led by developers Chelsfield Partners, includes the removal of

by Caroline Wilkinson | 01 May 2009

Construction work on a new eco-friendly multi-use pavilion at the City of Wakefield Golf Course in Lupset has begun. The pavilion, designed by NPS North East on behalf of the City of Wakefield Council, will be used as a base for the city's golf club, Azaad Cricket Club, Old Thornesians AFC and St Ignatius AFC. Part of the pavilion will look on to the golf course and include a tearoom,

by Helen Patenall | 30 Apr 2009

A 330-hectare Renewable Energy Village at Eastgate in Weardale may become a reality if Durham County Council approves the revised planning application recently submitted by Weardale Task Force. The ecologically sustainable site to be built on a former cement works located in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will feature Britain's second public geothermally heated spa and a hotel, as well as homes, office space and workshop accommodation.

by Pete Hayman | 30 Apr 2009

The British Formula One Grand Prix, which is due to be staged at Donington Park in Leicestershire from 2010, is facing an uncertain future after plans for the venue's £100m redevelopment were thrown into doubt. North West Leicestershire District Council has granted planning permission for the first stage of improvements, to be carried out at the venue in preparation for the event, which will relocate to Donington Park from Silverstone,

by Pete Hayman | 30 Apr 2009

A feasibility study that has identified Loirston Loch, Aberdeen, as the preferred site for a new community stadium has been backed by the local authority, although a final decision on the scheme is not expected until next month. Aberdeen City Council's (ACC) Policy and Strategy Committee voted in favour of the report's conclusion that the Loirston Loch presents the most deliverable option for the stadium, which will be the new

by Tom Walker | 30 Apr 2009

A new centre, designed specifically for gymnastics, has opened in Dunfermline, Scotland. The Bruce Street Gymnastics Centre is located in a leisure centre, specially converted to accommodate gymnasts. Equipment features include a tumble track, a vault run up and a double minitramp set into the floor. There are also additional asymmetric bar stations, extra competition height beams, extra rings, and a new horizontal bar with a supporting platform. The design

by Caroline Wilkinson | 30 Apr 2009

The architect has been picked to design a new branch of Mexico's Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum in Mexico City on behalf of client Patronato Tamayo. Mexican architects Roijkin Arquitectos and Danish practice BIG have been selected from a design competition to create the new 3,500sq m Tamayo Museum, which will house art exhibition spaces, storage and restoration facilities. The cross-shaped building, designed to look like 'an open box', is earmarked

by Helen Patenall | 29 Apr 2009

Three leisure facilities in Hertfordshire will be overhauled pending council approval of the increased capital injection required for the projects. Proposals for Hartham Leisure Centre in Hertford include a 65-station gym on the first floor, overlooking Hartham Common, as well as a new studio, a crèche, changing rooms and a reception. Grange Paddocks Pool and Gym in Bishop's Stortford will feature a new 80-station gym with views over the paddocks,

by Luke Tuchscherer | 29 Apr 2009

Work on the foyer at the £20.3m Colston Hall music and performance venue in Bristol has been completed. Main contractors Willmott Dixon handed over the keys to the building to Bristol City Council at a ceremony on 20 April to mark the completion of the work. The foyer, which features an atrium crossed by bridges at upper floor levels, was designed by architects at Levitt Bernstein Associates. The bridges connect

by Tom Walker | 29 Apr 2009

Saddleworth Leisure Centre in Uppermill, Oldham, has undergone a £1.7m redevelopment. The centre’s 25m swimming pool has been remodelled and the centre has been substantially extended. New facilities include a 50-station fitness suite, dance studio and a reception – together with fully refurbished changing areas. The work, carried out by Cheshire-based Pozzoni, also includes the creation of two new five-a-side football pitches, which will be added to the site’s offering

by Pete Hayman | 29 Apr 2009

A public exhibition has been held by Telford and Wrekin Council (TWC) to allow local residents to view proposals for the £250m regeneration of the Southwater area of Telford's town centre. The Southwater Core redevelopment proposals, which will form part of the wider regeneration of the Shropshire town, include new leisure facilities, a new public square, restaurants, bars and hotel accommodation. It is hoped that the scheme will also improve

by Caroline Wilkinson | 29 Apr 2009

Plans for the 100,000sq ft mixed-use regeneration of Greenwich Market in London, part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, have been submitted to the London Borough of Greenwich. Designed by Hopkins Architects, the scheme is part of the redevelopment of Greenwich Town Centre. Among plans for the 0.7-hectare (1.7-acre) site are a 100-bed boutique hotel, shops and studios under a newly covered market square. The site is owned by

by Pete Hayman | 29 Apr 2009

A number of options for the redevelopment of Maryport Harbour in Cumbria, which will form part of the Britain's Energy Coast Masterplan, have been put on public display at the town's Wave Centre. Property adviser DTZ has developed a number of options for the scheme following a consultation event in December, including proposals for new facilities for the Inland Boat Rescue service and the Royal Yachting Association, as well as