by Pete Hayman | 19 Jan 2009

A new multi-million pound sports centre could be built in Bexhill, East Sussex, after Rother District Council (RDC) agreed to appoint consultants to conduct a feasibility study into the plans. The new centre, which is to be situated on the town's Down site and could cost up to £18m, will form part of the council's scheme to consolidate the town's two existing leisure facilities into one single site by 2016.

by Pete Hayman | 16 Jan 2009

An anonymous south coast entrepreneur has acquired a 30-year old ferry which is set to become a floating bar at Port Solent, near Portsmouth, Hampshire. The Shieldsman vessel first entered service between North and South Shields on the River Tyne in 1976, but was removed from the route in May 2007 when its operator, Nexus, introduced a new £1.9m ferry. Chief fitter on the Shields ferry, Bill Jackson, said: "She's

by Pete Hayman | 14 Jan 2009

A turf-cutting ceremony has marked the start of work on a new £8.2m archive centre in Carlisle, Cumbria, UK, which will eventually house more than one million historical items. The project will include the restoration and renovation of the Grade II-listed Lady Gillford's House at Petteril Bank, as well as the creation of a new glass-fronted structure alongside it to house records currently stored at Carlisle Castle. Cumbria County Council

by Pete Hayman | 14 Jan 2009

A scheme to redevelop a historic pumphouse in Llanelli, South Wales, has been handed a funding boost worth £1.8m from the Welsh Assembly Government. Development proposals for the preservation and restoration of the Grade II-listed building form part of a wider £250m regeneration of the town's North Dock and waterfront areas. The project, which will be carried out by Bendigo 9-10, will see the pumphouse transformed into a new restaurant

by Pete Hayman | 14 Jan 2009

Doncaster Council has approved plans for the second phase of the town's waterfront project which will include a newly-built, 90-berth marina. The masterplan outlines a number of key priorities for the regeneration of 15 hectares (37.1 acres) of land to the north of Doncaster town centre, adjacent to the education hub building, which was completed in 2006 as part of the first stage of the scheme. Included in the plans

by Pete Hayman | 14 Jan 2009

A draft development framework for a proposed multi-million pound sports village in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, has been put on public display. Regeneration company Sunderland arc drew up the plans for the development of the Stadium Village complex, which will be built near the town's new Aquatic Centre and the Stadium of Light, home of Sunderland Association Football Club (SAFC). Once Sunderland City Council (SCC) approves the framework's proposals, which

by Pete Hayman | 13 Jan 2009

Work is to get underway on a £400,000 scheme to restore the 40-year-old Apollo Pavilion in Peterlee, County Durham. Located in the town's Sunny Blunts Park, the pavilion was named after the Apollo space mission and was designed by the artist Victor Pasmore as a symbol of 1960s simplicity. Having become a target for vandalism in recent years, the pavilion project will see the replacement of a staircase providing access

by Pete Hayman | 13 Jan 2009

Leicester Tigers Rugby Football Club (LTRFC) has submitted plans for a £100m redevelopment of the former Granby Halls and Fosse Day Centre sites. Situated adjacent to the club's Welford Road stadium, the outline planning application made to Leicester City Council includes the construction of a new four-star hotel. New facilities for the University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) and the University of Leicester on the Granby Halls site, and a multi-storey

by Pete Hayman | 13 Jan 2009

Plans for the £750m regeneration of the 468-acre (189.4-hectare) Longbridge site are set to move forward after Birmingham City Council (BCC) and developer St Modwen reached agreement over the scheme's Area Action Plan (AAP). A Planning Inspectorate report into the project in south Birmingham is expected at the end of January following the conclusion of a public inquiry into the AAP last month, despite a disagreement over the funding of

by Pete Hayman | 12 Jan 2009

Activity holiday company, PGL, is redeveloping a former tennis centre near Hertsmonceux, East Sussex, into a new activity centre. The 21-acre (8.5-hectare) Windmill Hill site will undergo a £4m revamp and when complete, will offer courses for school and youth groups, as well as small summer camps and family groups during the summer. Facilities at the new centre will include a 2,000sq m (21,527sq ft) sports hall, a swimming pool,

by Pete Hayman | 12 Jan 2009

Bournemouth Borough Council (BBC) has approved plans to build a new ice stadium complex at King's Park, despite admitting that it would not be able to subsidise the facility using taxpayers' money. Proposals for the development, which will be located near the home of AFC Bournemouth, received strong public support during a public consultation held late last year. An Olympic-sized ice rink with a separate area for curling is at

by Pete Hayman | 09 Jan 2009

Plans for the £100m redevelopment of Donington Park motor racing circuit near Kegworth, Leicestershire, have been given the green light by the local authority. North West Leicestershire District Council granted planning permission for the first stage of improvements at the venue to be carried out in preparation for the British Formula One Grand Prix, which will be staged at the venue for 10 years starting in 2010. The scheme includes

by Pete Hayman | 09 Jan 2009

Work has got underway on a three-month project to create new visitor facilities at the Angel of the North in Gateshead, north east England. Gateshead Council agreed to proposals in early 2008, which included the creation of new parking and toilet facilities at the visitor attraction, along with new footpaths. It is expected that work will be completed by April, and will see the new facilities located well back from

by Caroline Wilkinson | 08 Jan 2009

Property fund manager Highcross has submitted plans for a mixed-use development on its 100-acre Lakeside North Harbour site in Portsmouth. Highcross, which has owned the site since 2005, intends to develop 750,000sq ft of office space alongside a 14-acre lake, accompanied by a 70,000sq ft hotel, a conference centre, two wind turbines, shops and a medical centre. The project has been designed by West Sussex-based architects Thorpe Wheatley. The site

by Tom Walker | 08 Jan 2009

The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle, County Durham, is set to complete its revamp during the year and will reopen to the public on 14 February. The redevelopment work will be completed in stages and finished phases include the revamp of the Entrance Hall, with a more user friendly reception desk; a new glass corridor leading people to the upgraded Café Bowes; and the extension of the museum's retail facilities.

by Tom Walker | 08 Jan 2009

Marriott Hotels has completed a redevelopment programme that saw 38 of its UK hotels being upgraded. The 18-month, £120m project included the refurbishment of 5,000 bedrooms, the introduction of 31 new restaurants and bars, and refurbishment work on 300 meeting rooms. Thirteen major function spaces have also been upgraded and seven leisure facilities improved. The largest individual investments in the programme were the £10m revamp of the London Marriott Hotel

by Sarah Todd | 08 Jan 2009

A number of changes are to take place at the 67-acre development in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. The changes relate to The Harmon Hotel & Spa which include postponing the opening of the hotel to late 2010 and cancelling The Harmon residential condominium component. This has increased the company’s total cost savings to US$600m (441.9m euro, £399.1m). In addition, the postponement will defer a further US$200m (147.3m euro, £133m) in

by Pete Hayman | 07 Jan 2009

Science Oxford has closed for two months to allow work to get underway on a £250,000 refurbishment of the centre, which is expected to take two months. The project includes the upgrade and relocation of the children's science gallery, as well as the integration of a refreshment area into the ground floor adult exhibition space, and the installation of new audio-visual equipment in the first floor performance room. Leicester-based museum

by Pete Hayman | 06 Jan 2009

A new large casino could be established at the ExCeL exhibition centre in London's Docklands after it emerged that it was among several contenders bidding to hose the proposed venue. Discussions are currently ongoing between the centre, casino operators and the local authority, Newham Council, to investigate the possibility of locating a casino at the ExCeL, which is situated at Royal Victoria Dock near Canning Town. A spokesperson for ExCeL

by Pete Hayman | 06 Jan 2009

Kirklees Council has unveiled the initial designs for a proposed new leisure centre in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The £26m complex will be built on the Spring Grove car park in Springwood, and will form part of a wider regeneration project which includes the relocation of a Tesco supermarket to the site of the existing sports centre in Southgate. Proposals for the new centre, which is scheduled to open in Spring

by Helen Patenall | 06 Jan 2009

Waverley Borough Council has announced amendments to its proposals to refurbish a portfolio of leisure centres in Surrey, following detailed surveys of the sites. Owing to the bad structural condition of the 37-year-old Godalming Leisure Centre, the council has now decided to allocate £2.6m worth of investment to replace the aging building with a new one. Waverley’s portfolio holder for leisure, cllr Roger Steel, explained: “The increased financial costs incurred

by Pete Hayman | 05 Jan 2009

A new scheme to preserve ten iconic cultural heritage sites in Wales is set to benefit from a £2m cash injection from the Welsh Assembly Government. Funding for the Welsh Cultural Heritage Initiative will be set aside from the Welsh Assembly Government's Strategic Capital Investment Fund, and will also go towards making the ten sites safe and accessible for visitors. Seven sites to be included as part of the scheme

by Pete Hayman | 23 Dec 2008

Salford City Council (SCC) has opposed proposals to build a new international standard racecourse near Manchester as part of a major development project put forward by developer Peel Holdings. The project is set to go before a public planning inquiry next year, although the council met to discuss the plans on 18 December in order to register its formal view, unanimously rejecting the proposals. The racecourse, complete with a 6,000-seat

by Pete Hayman | 23 Dec 2008

Premier Inn, the Whitbread-owned budget hotel chain, has unveiled plans to build a new purpose-built floating hotel in Hartlepool Marina, Durham, during 2009. The 54-bedroom 'floatel' will be designed to float vertically with the tide to ensure that guests avoid sea sickness, while sleeved piles driven into the marina will restrict horizontal movement. It will be the first property of its kind in the UK, and will be linked to

by Pete Hayman | 23 Dec 2008

One of the oldest museums in Britain, the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archeology at Oxford University, is to close the public until November 2009 as part of a major redevelopment project. First opened in 1683, the museum is undergoing a £61m revamp including the creation of a new 8,812sq m (94,852sq ft) exhibition hall, which will double the amount of available display space at the attraction. The museum has

by Pete Hayman | 23 Dec 2008

Work on a new multi-million pound hotel development in Southampton has been put on hold by developer Ocean Village Resorts (OVR) due to the current economic downturn. The £60m scheme, which was given the green light by Southampton City Council (SCC) planners in July, includes the 13-storey, 224-bedroom Millennium Ocean Village Hotel and a waterfront events piazza. Other facilities incorporated in the development include a restaurant, a cafe bar, a

by Pete Hayman | 22 Dec 2008

Plans for the £15m redevelopment of Snetterton motor racing circuit in Norfolk have been given the green light by Breckland Council. MotorSport Vision (MSV), the company which owns the motor sports venue, received approval for the scheme in September three years after first revealing its plans for the circuit. The project is intended to transform Snetterton into a hub of the UK motor racing industry, and includes changes to the