Southend United Football Club (SUFC) has been given full planning permission by the government to build a new 22,000-seat stadium at Fossetts Farm. However, the club has rejected a local media report which had suggested the cost of the project had risen sharply. Plans for the stadium, which include a hotel and conference facilities, were initially approved last year by both Southend Borough Council and Rochford District Council in early

The development of a £12m sports complex in Matlock, Derbyshire, could be delayed following the withdrawal of funding partner the Marston's pub company. Derbyshire Dales District Council, owner and operator of the proposed facility, intended to invest £7m into the project, which was to be generated from the sale of land to Marston's and of Sherwood Hall Leisure Centre, which was recently sold for £1m. The pub company backed out

Loyal Leisure, owner of Strathmore Golf Centre in East Perthshire, has received outline planning permission for a multi-million pound expansion, which includes on-site holiday accommodation. The plans, approved by Perth and Kinross Council, include a 30-bed lodge with a health and fitness suite, 34 chalets and a new clubhouse with a pro-golf shop, a bar and meeting rooms. The chalets, of various sizes, will be built in clusters across three

Crusaders Football Club has identified two sites in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that could house an ambitious joint stadium project. In partnership with Newington Football Club, the plans for both locations, launched at the end of August, include a shared 4,200-capacity, all-seater stadium as part of a wider community sports development. Designed by Frank Crowley Architects of Dublin, the new stadium will be located at either Grove Park in north Belfast,

The construction of Liverpool Football Club’s (LFC) new 73,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park has been put on hold. The £350m development, which received planning permission last month, was expected to open in time for the 2011-2012 season. A spokesperson for the club said: "Our commitment to building a new world class LFC stadium is undiminished. Like many other major development projects in the UK and overseas, we are affected by

Morecambe Football Club (MFC) has been granted planning permission by Lancaster City Council for a new development incorporating a 6,800-capacity stadium. As well as a new stadium, the 5.3 hectare (13 acre) site at Westgate will also include an outdoor multi-sports facility. Outline approval was also given for a 40-bedroom hotel, a club shop and seven food and drink outlets at the site. MFC has drawn up the plans with

Plans for the regeneration of Edinburgh's Leith Docks have been given the go-ahead by City of Edinburgh Council. The council awarded outline planning permission for the £700m mixed-use scheme, which is reportedly the largest planning application in Edinburgh's history. The project is part of a 30-year vision to transform the city's waterfront into a sustainable community and leisure destination. The framework, designed by international architects RMJM in collaboration with developers

HOK Sport, the architect firm behind the 2012 Olympic stadium and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, is to separate from parent group HOK. HOK Sport's head, Rod Sheard, is leading the management buy out, which was funded by himself and other executives. The Kansas City, USA-based HOK Sport Venue Event – to give the company its full name – became an independent yet wholly-owned subsidiary of HOK in 2000. The two companies

Fife Council, Scotland, has announced plans to redevelop two of its leisure centres and to refurbish another sports facility as part of a £50m capital investment programme. The Fife Institute of Physical & Recreation Education (FIPRE) in Glenrothes will be redeveloped, as will the Kirkcaldy Swimming Pool, as part of a £33m project. The development is being carried out by B3Architects – also architectural advisors for the London 2012 Olympics

A £122m regeneration plan for south Norwich has received the green light from Norwich City Council. The 45,000sq ft mixed-use development, called Harford Place, is led by developers Targetfollow and includes a leisure complex, restaurants, cafés, a hotel and a 10,000sq ft community art centre with 20 artist studios. When complete, the development will also include residential housing, a public realm and a new public square, which will form the

The Coin Street Community Builders' (CSCB) proposals for a new mixed-use development on London's South Bank have been approved by the secretary of state, Hazel Blears. The Doon Street Scheme is a collaboration between architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, CSCB, operator Greenwich Leisure and the Rambert Dance Company. The development team also included consultants Arup, Davis Langdon LLP, Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners and Montagu Evans. The plans for the 144m (472sq

A date has been announced for the public inquiry into plans put forward by Everton Football Club for a new stadium in Kirkby, Liverpool. The £120m, 50,000-seat stadium is part of a wider £400m joint regeneration venture with supermarket company, Tesco. Communities secretary Hazel Blears called in the project two weeks ago, and the government has announced a date of 18 November for the inquiry to start. Leader of Knowsley

The 19th century Clifton Victoria Baths in Bristol, one of the oldest Grade II-listed swimming pools in the UK, is due to reopen this October following an extensive £2m restoration project, which began October 2006. The lido will be operated by, Bristol-based restaurant group the Glass Boat Company, which has been working in collaboration with architects Marshall Kendon and English Heritage to upgrade the 885sq m facility. When complete, the

Three architecture firms are to work together to design the new US$140m (£72.5m, 92m euro) Omaha Baseball Stadium in Nebraska, US. Selected by Omaha mayor Mike Fahey in June, the three firms – Omaha-based HDR as architects and engineers, HOK Sport as design architect and DLR Group as associate architect – will collaborate on the stadium, which will become the home of the College World Series. HDR project principal, Bruce Carpenter,

The YES! project in Rotherham, billed as the largest covered leisure, entertainment and sports destination in Europe, has received the approval of the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. In a cabinet meeting, the council approved the development agreement between the council and developer Oak Holdings, which will see Oak take over a 250-year lease for a 327-acre (132-hectare) site in the town. The £350m YES! scheme is being created as the

A new leisure development in Louth, Lincolnshire, is set to be powered by renewable energy sources. East Lindsey District Council has confirmed that a number of cost-effective energy-saving measures are being incorporated into the new Wood Lane Leisure Centre. Work on the new £11m facility has already begun, and will include measures such as rainwater harvesting and automatic pool hall lighting control. A report, prepared for the council by the

Revised plans for the proposed Croydon Arena, part of the Croydon Gateway redevelopment in London, have been rejected by the communities secretary, Hazel Blears. The project, a partnership between developer Arrowcroft and the London Borough of Croydon, is one of two proposed regenerative developments for the 12.36 acre (5-hectare) site. The rejected plans, designed by Michael Aukett Architects, involved the construction of a new 12,500-seat indoor arena for sports, business

Plans for a new £30m main stand at Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham have taken a step forward with the appointment of an engineering company. Mott MacDonald will provide all engineering services for Warwickshire County Cricket Club (WCCC), including structural and mechanical services on a new 9,000-seat stand. It is part of redevelopment plans for the ground which will include the upgrade of catering, media and press facilities. The new

Londoners have been given their chance to redesign the Olympic Park after the 2012 Olympics. A month-long consultation held by the London Development Agency (LDA) toured locations across the city in June and July. Visitors to the consultation were given the chance to physically place houses, parks and other features on a large scale map of the East London site. Activities also included an interactive panel to prioritise the importance

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has published its annual report and accounts for the year 2007-8. In the report, the ODA reveals that it has made strong progress in meeting targets for delivering the 2012 games. Over the past twelve months, the ODA says it has delivered "virtually all" of its Dig, Demolish, Design: Milestones to Beijing strategy, with construction on the Olympic Stadium, Olympic Village and Aquatics Centre, starting

Lancaster City Council has given the go ahead for a new £20m sports centre to be built at the Lancaster University. To be built on the university's pavilion near to the rugby pitches, the new centre will be accessible to staff, students, schools, and the local community. Construction work is to begin in September 2008 with an opening date planned for spring 2010. Facilities at the centre include a 25m,

BRC Imagination Arts has been chosen to design a new sports experience centre in Heerenveen, Friesland, the Netherlands. BRC will work together with the client Sportstad Heerenveen BV, to design the centre, with the intention of engaging visitors through interactive and multi-media experiences. Called Sport Experience Heerenveen (SEH), the attraction will illustrate the history of sport with a particular emphasis on Friesland's sporting culture. When complete, SEH will feature themed

The Arena Leisure Centre in Camberley, Surrey, is to undergo a £1.7m refurbishment. The project is the result of a partnership between the centre's owners, Surrey Heath Borough Council, and management company DC Leisure, which operates the site on behalf of the council. Work on the four-phase refurbishment will begin at the end of the summer, and includes the updating of centre's fitness facilities, as well as improvements to accessibility.

Work on the £4m refurbishment of William Penn Leisure Centre in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, has been delayed due to a dispute between the client - Three Rivers District Council - and Gee Construction. The aim of the project, which began in March 2007, is to expand and revamp aging facilities to cater for rising visitor numbers. The improvements to the centre were expected to be completed by summer 2008, but the

Plans for Liverpool Football Club’s new 60,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park have finally got the go-ahead following five-years in the planning. The £350m development, which includes other sports facilities, is expected to open in time for the 2011-2012 season. Lang O’Rourke has been appointed as the development’s engineers and has already begun to prepare the site for construction, which is due to begin this September. The stadium is designed by

Plans to build a £25m rugby stadium in St Helens, Merseyside, is due to receive approval from the Government Office for the North West this month following unanimous support from the St Helens Council Planning Committee. Langtree, the project’s developer and the site’s owner, proposes to construct an 18,000-capacity stadium with mixed seating and standing facilities, to replace the existing home for the St Helens Rugby League Club as part

The proposed Peak Resort development in Unstone, Derbyshire, has finally been given the go-ahead by Chesterfield Borough Council after 19 years in the planning. The project, estimated to cost around £300m to complete, is headed by Birchall Properties and is to be located within 121-hectares (300-acres) of green belt land adjacent to the River Drone. The development’s centerpiece will be a 312-metre domed structure, housing a 26-room hotel with spa