Work has begun on a new £6m hotel and gym facility in Harrogate town centre. Pure Gym and Travelodge will occupy the mixed-use development, occupying a 70-bedroom hotel and a 16,900sq ft gym facility respectively. Leeds-based Gregory Property Group bought the former bowling alley in 2011 and secured planning approval to redevelop the site in February 2013. It had already secured a 25-year lease with Travelodge to operate the hotel

Leisure design and build specialist Createability has secured health, fitness and leisure industry veteran Brian Thompson as its new sales director. Thompson, whose career spans more than 20 years in the sector, will be responsible for defining the company’s sales strategy, taking the business into new sectors, building a sales team and ultimately increasing turnover. Thompson began his career in 1989 as a duty manager within a local authority leisure

Tehran-based New Wave Architecture have designed a 4,500sq m (48,438sq ft) rock climbing gym for Porlour, Iran, that resembles a giant boulder. The gym overlooks Iran’s highest peak – Mount Damavand – and features a bouldering hall with a climbing wall, a temporary accommodation zone and a fitness gym. The climbing centre’s exterior will also provide opportunities for outdoor climbing. According to the architects, the design has been inspired by

Plans have been submitted for a mixed-use scheme in Chipping, Lancashire, which will include two new hotels, a spa, a cricket pavilion and a trailhead centre on the site of a former mill. The Grade II listed Kirk Mill – to be operated by Living Ventures – will be converted into an 18-bedroom hotel with a restaurant and gastro pub, while the existing barn will be turned into seven holiday

Construction is to start next month on the University of Birmingham’s new £55m red brick and copper-clad sports centre on its Edgbaston campus. Designed by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, the university hopes the 13,200sq m (142,083sq ft) sports development will reaffirm its status as one of the UK’s leading institutions for sport and nurture the next generation of Olympic talent. The new sports centre, which is being built on a former

Following Chancellor George Osborne’s weekend announcement that the UK’s first garden city for 100 years would be built in Ebbsfleet, ukactive CEO David Stalker has called on developers to ensure spaces for physical activity are high on the planning agenda, saying a successful outcome could provide a breakthrough in reducing the UK’s inactivity crisis. The garden city concept – small, self-sufficient cities of 30,000 people that are ringed by an

Oldham Council has unveiled plans for a new £15m flagship leisure facility in its town centre, with hopes the complex could attract major televised sporting events. The new Oldham Sports Centre, at the junction of Manchester Street and St Domingo Street, would replace the existing Lord Street facility in 2015 if planning is approved. Oldham’s council leader Jim McMahon says the centre would represent a significant upgrade to current sporting

Plans have been unveiled for a progressive SkyCycle network, designed to give cyclists a dedicated commuter route, as its developers seek to transform cycle transport in London. Designed by Norman Foster + Partners with Exterior Architecture and Space Syntax, the 135-mile network of routes is planned for construction above existing suburban railway lines. The plans come in the wake of a number of deaths of cyclists experienced on the capital’s

Sheffield has edged closer to realising its Olympic legacy programme after plans were unveiled for a new £7m sports centre and swimming pool. The proposed centre would be built on the Thorncliffe Recreation Ground in High Green and help fill the gap left by a £50m programme of cuts which has seen many existing facilities close, including Stocksbridge pool in April. It is expected to feature a 25m six-lane pool,

Golden Globe award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has purchased a multi-million dollar unit in Greenwich Village, New York, US, boasting more than 50 wellness and health features. The property, designed wellness property developers Delos Living, is housed inside a converted factory originally built in 1987 and is described as ‘the world’s first WELL-Certified residences.” While hotels and spas have increasingly marketed wellness environments to guests, Delos is pushing the idea into

Ritz-Carlton has opened it first hotel in Bangalore, India complete with a fitness club and an ESPA spa. The property, located on Residency Road in the heart of Bangalore, has 277-bedrooms and combines intricate Jaali design native to the land with natural foliage, fresh water and the elemental characteristics of fire and stone to evoke India’s vibrant landscape. 26 global design firms worked on the property, with the principal architects

Councillors in Scarborough have approved proposals for a multi-million pound leisure village, which will include a new 2,000-seater football ground, leisure facilities and an eight lane swimming pool. The plans have been hailed by Scarborough Council as a ‘fantastic opportunity’ for the area to build on the success for the London 2012 Olympic Games and encourage people to take up more active and healthier lifestyles. Cambridge-based Wrenbridge Land will continue

A new indoor swimming pool, spa and sports centre will open on 5 July 2014 after 26 months of construction work in the resort town of St Moritz, Switzerland. The Ovaverva is themed around the three states of water - gas, solid and liquid – with amenities including a wellness area, pools, a fitness centre, a cross country ski and outdoor sport centre and a restaurant. The 1,620sq m (17,437sq

A new £16m swimming pool and leisure complex has opened in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, six months later than originally scheduled. The Pier Parade project is part of South Tyneside Council’s regeneration plans. It was designed by LA architects and is being built by Graham construction. The new centre feature’s a 25m, eight-lane competition pool; an 18m teaching pool and leisure waters with flumes; sprays; bubble pools and water

A planning application for an £11m leisure centre in Washington has been unveiled by Sunderland City Council. The centre will include a six lane, 25m pool, a four court sports hall, a multi-purpose sports hall, two squash courts, sauna, steamrooms and relaxation area, a soft play centre and football pitches. A wellness centre will comprise a 100-station gym, spinning studio, exercise studio and two consultation rooms. Pellikaan Construction has already

New York City officials are tackling obesity in the city by setting up the first ever Centre for Active Design, as well as announcing new legislation that will change the way new buildings and renovations are designed. Active Design was recently set up to combat architects' tendency to value convenience over health, often leading to a lazier lifestyle. The centre, which is a non-profit organisation, aims to promote changes to

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Centre, Rugby's new leisure centre, is on track to opens its doors on 31 August. The new centre replaces the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre, which has been demolished after serving the town for 40 years. The centre, designed by B3 Architects, has been built on the site of the Ken Marriott Leisure Centre's car park. Facilities include two swimming pools, a 100-station gym, a climbing wall,

A £635,000 refurbishment of Cleethorpes Leisure Centre in north Lincolnshire has been approved. The refurbishment will see an overhaul of the existing poolside changing rooms with the introduction of a modern, family-friendly layout. After consulting with pool users, it was decided that the new facilities would include male and female toilets, individual shower cubicles, design changes to support disabled users, a new footwear changing area, wet/dry areas and a storage

Romford, London, is set to receive brand new sports facilities which will include a competition swimming pool and new ice rink. The development, which has been designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, will include in addition to the eight-lane, 25m pool and ice rink, a learner pool, sauna and steam room, health and fitness studio, gym, dance studio, café and bar. The ice rink will be located on the second floor of

The foundations for a new leisure centre at Elephant and Castle, London have been laid this week, following delays to construction dating back to 2012. The new leisure centre was approved last November but the discovery of human remains on the site pushed back development with the expected opening date pushed back from 2014 to 2015. Construction company, Balfour Beatty, is currently preparing the ground for the next steps in

The new £20m (US$30.9m, €23.5m) Glass Mill Leisure Centre in Lewisham, south London, will open its doors on 10 June after 15 months of construction work. The new facility has been designed by LA Architects and will be operated by Fusion Lifestyle on behalf of Lewisham Council. The contractor for the project was Pellikaan, with additional work from Barratt Homes, who developed the 'Renaissance' theme. The new centre comes equipped

Construction work has begun on the Witham Leisure Centre in Essex. The £9.5m project is headed by Barr Construction and the facility - designed by Scott Brownrigg Architects - is due for completion in summer 2014. Once opened, the centre will be managed by Fusion Lifestyle. Facilities will include a six lane, 25m pool, leaner pool with moveable floor, a health and fitness suite, two dance studios, sauna and steamroom

Plans for a new £10.1m leisure centre in Kidderminster have moved forward after Wyre Forest District Council's (WFDC) planning committee green lighted the project. The proposal for the former Victoria Sports Ground include a 25-metre six-lane pool, a learner pool, fitness suite, six-court sports hall and outdoor football pitches. Other facilities will include fitness and dance studios and a cafe. "This project is about providing first class leisure and sports

Swindon could become home to the longest ski slope in the UK as part of the revised plans for the multi million pound revamp of the Oasis Leisure centre. In the new plans, the slope would exceed the current longest UK slope at Xscape Braehead in Scotland, which holds the record at 200 metres in length. "This development will make Swindon the best indoor skiing venue in the country," said

The new £17.9m Splashpoint leisure complex has opened to the public in Worthing, West Sussex. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the centre has replaced the former Aquarena venue on the site. The scheme was project managed by Deloitte Real Estate on behalf of Worthing Borough Council following a RIBA design competition in 2009. Facilities include a six lane, 25m competition pool and a learner/diving pool, an indoor leisure pool with

Linwood's sport and community centre ON-X has officially opened following a £24m investment by Renfrewshire Council. Designed by Cr8 Architecture and built by BAM Construction, the facility includes an eight court sports hall, two squash courts, 600sq m gym, four fitness studios, and athletics track. The new centre is part of the council's £40m investment in local leisure facilities. It also features three swimming pools including a six-lane 25m competition

Westminster City Council and Willmott Dixon have announced £19m proposals for sports and leisure in the north west of the borough, which will deliver a 40 per cent increase in facilities. The plans include a new Moberly Sports Centre with two swimming pools and large sports hall and gym, and a new sports facility at Jubilee Leisure Centre. The cost will be entirely funded by Willmott Dixon, which will develop