An official 'digging' ceremony has taken place to mark the start of construction work on a new leisure centre in Godalming, Surrey - next to the existing Broadwater park facility. Preparatory work got underway on the £6m development earlier this month after Waverley Borough Council (WBC) approved planning permission. Designed by Pozzoni and to be built by ISG, the centre will be operated by DC Leisure and will incorporate a

Sporting Kansas City's new 18,467-capacity LIVESTRONG Sporting Park venue has been officially launched with a Major League Soccer fixture against Chicago Fire on 9 June. The capacity of the Populous-designed stadium, which was delivered by Turner Construction, can be increased to 25,000 for concerts and features 36 suites and covered seats throughout. LIVESTRONG Sporting Park incorporates a 75-yard x 120-yard natural grass surface with a SubAir under-soil heating and cooling

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) planners have approved the development of a £31m leisure, business support and community facility in the heart of Redcar. S&P Architects and Plus3 Architects are behind the design of the complex, which is set to feature a 25m, six-lane swimming pool and leisure pool; a fitness suite; and a junior gym. A dance hall and performance space; a sports hall; community facilities; business space

Bristol Rovers Football Club (BRFC) has unveiled its plans to relocate to a new 20,000-seat stadium on land at the University of West England's (UWE) Frenchay campus. The npower League Two club said its current Memorial Ground is no longer fit for purpose and aims to sell off the existing venue to Sainsbury's to help fund the Arturus-designed development. Both projects are expected to represent a combined investment of £60m,

The Pods - a multi-million pound leisure and sports facility being developed in Scunthorpe - has been handed over to North Lincolnshire Council (NLC) ahead of its July opening. Bowmer and Kirkland has completed construction work on the new centre, which has been designed by Andrew Wright with S&P Architects acting as the project's delivery architects. Buro Happold has also been involved with the development of The Pods, which comprises

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has revealed that construction work at the London 2012 Basketball Arena is now complete - the fourth Olympic Park venue to be finished. One of the largest temporary venues to be used in an Olympic and Paralympic Games, it is to be dismantled following next summer's competition and will be reused elsewhere. Initial work commenced on-site in October 2009 before the erection of a 1,000-tonne

Rotherham United Football Club's (RUFC) plans to develop a new £17.3m stadium on the site of the town's former Guest and Chrimes foundry site have been handed a boost. A £5m loan towards the cost of the S&P Architects-designed ground has been approved by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council's (RMBC) cabinet. Gleeds has already been appointed to project manage the 12,000-seat stadium development, which will be built by GMI Construction and

Councillors have voted to proceed with the £24m Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre project in St Albans, Hertfordshire, following an independent review of the scheme's business case. The review took place after a Conservative-led administration took control of St Albans City and District Council (SACDC) following the local government elections in May. At a meeting on 7 June, cabinet members decided to move forward with the S&P Architects-designed scheme, which has

A new £30m sports centre that will provide facilities for research, fitness, sport development and the staging of events has been officially unveiled by Northumbria University (NU). Sir Robert McAlpine started construction work on the Atkins-designed Sport Central venue in 2008, with Gardiner and Theobald acting as project manager on behalf of the institution. Facilities include a 3,000-capacity main arena to stage sporting events and to provide a home court

A new public competition has been launched by Luton Borough Council (LBC), Active Luton and Wates Construction in a bid to find an official name for the town's new £26m aquatic centre. Designed by S&P Architects, the new Stopsley complex will comprise a 50m, eight-lane pool with integrated diving area; a high-dive training centre; and a 20m x 10m community pool. A multi-purpose sports hall; a 100-station fitness suite; two

Leisure trust Tone and development partner Createability have commenced work on a major £900,000 upgrade of the facilities at Churchill Sports Centre in North Somerset. Alliance Leisure is overseeing the delivery of the project, which will boast a 35-station gym; two studios; and a dry changing area. A £300,000 all-weather pitch is also planned. The reception area at the dual-use site is to be remodelled to provide separate entrances for

Work is due to start on Wakefield ONE - a new £10m swimming pool and fitness complex in Wakefield - today (6 June) as part of the local authority's wider regeneration plans. Willmott Dixon Construction has been chosen to build the NPS North East-designed venue, which will be located on Sun Lane and is due for completion next summer. Drivers Jonas Deloitte is also involved with the scheme, which will

Plans for a major new £50m regional leisure complex in Weston-super-Mare - housing the UK's largest indoor real snow ski slope - have been submitted to North Somerset Council. LeisureDome will form part of St Modwen's Locking Parklands development and will also feature an indoor climbing centre; a health club; a children's activity zone; and a crèche. London-based consultancy GVA has submitted plans on behalf of LeisureDome (UK), with a

Plans for a major new sports complex in Lewisham, South London, have moved forward with the formation of a new foundation to oversee the delivery of the project. Former transport minister and London mayoral candidate Steve Norris will chair the Surrey Canal Sports Foundation, which will ensure long-term sports provision for the site. An indoor regional centre of sporting excellence - Surrey Canal: London's Sporting Village - will be at

The £38m Basildon Sporting Village has been officially opened by The Duke of Gloucester. The S&P Architects-designed complex will boast the county's first Olympic-sized swimming pool and a 24.2m x 10m (79.4ft x 32.8ft) climbing wall, as well as a 100-station fitness suite. Sports and Leisure Management (SLM) has been appointed to operate the facility under its Everyone Active brand - part of a wider leisure management deal with Basildon

Silverstone Circuits and the British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) have launched a new pit, paddock and conference complex - the Silverstone Wing - at the Northamptonshire venue. The multi-million pound development boasts 41 garages; a race control building; a podium; a media centre; and hospitality and VIP spectator areas for motor racing events. Facilities also include three large halls; conference space; a business centre; and a 100-seat auditorium, with the

Sandwell Council has announced that work has now commenced at the site of a new £8.1m swimming pool complex to be developed in Tipton, West Midlands. Work is currently being carried out to create a new access road to the new pool complex site from Alexandra Road and Thursfield Road. The project is to be completed by spring 2013. The venue - designed by Sandwell Urban Design Architects, the council's

Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park, a new £16.1m multi-purpose complex being developed in Huyton, Merseyside, is scheduled to open its doors to the public on 26 September. Designed by Broadway Malyan, the 6,600sq m (71,042sq ft) complex will feature a wet spa area with steamroom, sauna and whirlpool, as well as treatment rooms and a relaxation area. Two swimming pools; a six-court sports hall; a fitness suite with up to

A new £23m leisure centre being built in Dagenham, East London, by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD) is to open its doors to the public at the end of May. Becontree Heath Leisure Centre has been designed by S&P Architects and delivered by the London-based construction firm, Leadbitter Group on behalf of the local authority. Facilities will include a 95-station fitness suite and three workout studios with

A new publicly-owned stadium will be developed in Ramsey County, US, after local officials secured an agreement with the Minnesota Vikings American Football team. The multi-purpose facility on the site of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant will feature a retractable roof and is expected to cost around US$884m (£538.6m). Populous are behind the design of the scheme. A further US$173m (£105.4m) is to be invested in on-site infrastructure

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and leisure operator Tees Active have announced that the Billingham Forum complex is to reopen on 3 June, following an £18.5m overhaul. Morgan Sindall, the scheme's main contractor, completed work on site at the start of May, which has enabled preparations to commence ahead of the leisure venue's reopening. Facilities at the Devereux Architects-designed Billingham Forum include a six-lane, 25m swimming pool, with an additional training pool

Plans for the development of a new multi-million pound swimming pool in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, are to face further scrutiny after being called in by members of the local authority. Oxford City Council's (OCC) strategic development control committee approved proposals for the scheme on 28 April, but will now go before the planning review committee. The FaulknerBrowns Architects-designed facility would be located at the existing Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre and

Graham Construction has been selected to deliver Glenrothes' new £21m sports and leisure centre, which will replace the existing Fife Institute for Physical and Recreational Education (FIPRE). It is anticipated that work will commence on site shortly, with the new facility to be delivered in phases to ensure there is minimal disruption to services during the construction process. Designed by B3 Architects and Crea8 Architecture, the complex will comprise a

A new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been agreed by the Gulf Organisation for Research Development (GORD) and the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC). The document will see both organisations work together on the creation of environmentally-sustainable sports venues using Qatar Sustainability Assessment System standards. It is anticipated that the MoU will help reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions in the construction of new sporting facilities across the Middle Eastern

Lee Valley White Water Centre near Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, has been announced as the first London 2012 venue to open its doors for public use. The facility, which was officially unveiled by HRH The Princess Royal last December, is set to host the Olympic canoe slalom competition next summer. Lee Valley Regional Park Authority will own and run the centre before and after the Games, with facilities featuring a 300m

Cannock Chase District Council (CCDC) has announced that work has commenced on the multi-million pound modernisation of its Chase Leisure Centre, Staffordshire. Derby-based contractor GF Tomlinson has been appointed to undertake the revamp, which is due for completion in 2012 and will include a 25m pool with boom and moveable floor. A 150-station fitness suite and a dance studio, along with a 200-seat spectator gallery and a changing village, are

Mediation talks between landowners and applicants regarding a bid to register the proposed site of a new stadium at Bristol's Ashton Vale as a village green have broken down. The village green application is threatening to derail Bristol City Football Club's (BCFC) plans for a 30,000-seat stadium, which have been approved by Bristol City Council. A BCFC spokesperson said: "The club cannot comment further at this stage on the detail