Plans for the development of a major new youth facility in the centre of Luton have received a boost after the Department for Education approved capital funding worth £4.7m. The Tokko scheme has been designed by Max Rengifo of AStudio Architecture with the help of local young people, and was given the go ahead by Luton Borough Council (LBC) planners in April. Facilities at the five-storey building will include multi-use

India-based hospitality group Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts have launched the new 260-bedroom Leela Palace New Delhi property in the Diplomatic Enclave area at Chanakyapuri. The hotel boasts a 6,500sq ft (604sq m) Spa by ESPA, which has been designed by Jeffrey Wilkes across two levels - the first hosting an 'active' spa with fitness studio. Heat experiences including a sauna, steamroom and drench showers and changing facilities also comprise

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

Louisville Zoo in Kentucky, US, has announced the official opening of its new polar and grizzly bear habitat as part of the multi-phase Glacier Run project. The new exhibit has been modelled on the town of Churchill, Canada, and will be home to one polar bear and three grizzly bears. A seal and sea lion habitat was unveiled in June 2010. Design features include an old mining quarry flooded with

West Lothian Council (WLC) has announced the full reopening of the historic Burgh Halls in Linlithgow, which have undergone a major £5.2m redevelopment. The property has benefited from an extensive transformation and restoration of its features, with a new interactive display exploring its history available in the reception. Burgh Halls also features a gallery and the Glasshouse Café, while local community groups will also make use of the building. Malcolm

Michelin-starred chef Robert Thompson has unveiled plans for a major overhaul of Ventnor Winter Gardens, Isle of Wight, after being named preferred bidder for the property. Thompson - through his Hambrough Group vehicle - is proposing a multi-million pound makeover for the historic seafront property, which will establish a modern entertainment venue. The refurbished Ventnor Winter Gardens will be able to stage live performances and cinema screenings, while also offering

Roehampton Club, a multi-sport members' club in south west London, has announced that a three-phase, £10m refurbishment programme has now been completed. Kier Wallis and David Corley Architects worked on the third and final £5m stage of the revamp, which included the relocation of the club's car parks to the front of the site. The work has also included the creation of a newly-planted central area overlooking its four new

A new £3m 'live science' Discovery Centre has been officially opened by the University of Manchester (UM) at Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire. The development has included a new entrance building - the Planet Pavilion - and the Space Pavilion, which will be used for exhibitions and events. A new glass-walled café with views of the site's iconic Lovell telescope; an education space; and landscaped gardens have also formed part of

Kier Group has provided the solar energy system for a 500-seat 'model' stadium in Qatar, which has been built to show how sustainable technologies can be used in such projects. The zero-carbon venue has been designed by Arup Associates to illustrate how temperature and humidity levels can be controlled without requiring "vast amounts" of energy. Located on a sun farm outside the stadium, the solar panel system will supply the

A new entrance facility has been unveiled at Camperdown Wildlife Park, Dundee, following a £1m investment designed to enhance the attraction's visitor experience. Dundee City Council architects are behind the design of the venue, which boasts a learning room equipped with an interactive whiteboard and a cinema-style projector. It is hoped that the purpose-built space will help Camperdown to continue its education and conservation programme, while a new retail area

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art senior curator Philip Long has been announced as the director of a new Victoria and Albert museum to be developed on Dundee's waterfront. Long, who also leads the National Galleries of Scotland's Artist Rooms project, will take on the responsibility for establishing the V&A at Dundee as an international centre for design. In addition to his role as senior curator at the Scottish National

Barr and Wray has secured a EUR900,000 (£795,000) deal for the design and installation of new spa and pool facilities at the new Four Seasons Hotel hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Glasgow-based aqua-leisure facility provider will provide steamrooms, saunas, rasuls, hammams and ice fountains for the property's ninth-floor rooftop spa. Presidential suites will feature saunas, steam showers and ice fountains, with the whole spa and treatment area to cover 800sq

A new two-stage international design competition has started for the City Garden Project in Aberdeen, which aims to transform an area of the city centre into a new open space. Malcolm Reading Consulting is managing the contest on behalf of Aberdeen City Gardens Trust Enterprises, with the first stage inviting design teams to submit proposals. It is hoped that a shortlist of up to seven proposals for the £140m scheme

A groundbreaking ceremony has been held to mark the start of work on the new Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center at Tufts University in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, US. The 42,000sq ft (3,902sq m) venue - on College Avenue, Medford - will help the institution in its bid to promote healthier lifestyles and improve competitive athletics. Steve Tisch, the film producer and the chair of New York Giants, provided around

Turner Contemporary, a new £17.4m gallery dedicated to the life of 19th century artist JMW Turner, has officially opened its doors to the public in Margate, Kent. Designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the attraction was opened by artist Tracey Emin, musician Jools Holland and local schoolchildren on 16 April. R Durtnell and Sons has delivered the building, which incorporates 750sq m (8,072sq ft) of gallery space across two floors. The

London mayor Boris Johnson has revealed that Mace will lead a consortium of contractors that will be responsible for delivering a new cable car link across the River Thames. Work is due to commence on the scheme this summer, which will connect Greenwich with the Royal Docks and is due to be completed ahead of the London 2012 Games. Cable car specialist Dopplemayr; Watson Steel; URS Scott Wilson; Buro Happold;

West Nottinghamshire College (WNC) has announced "once-in-a-generation" plans for a £24m redevelopment of its Derby Road campus in Mansfield. A new sports hall with badminton and basketball courts; a sports science lab; a refreshment and viewing area; and changing facilities forms part of the extensive proposals. The Taylor Young-designed project is also set to include a two/three-storey building to house 4,000sq m (43,056sq ft) of additional teaching space, plus a

The Lee Valley White Water Centre near Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, has been chosen to host the 2015 Canoe Slalom World Championships by the International Canoe Federation. Built to stage canoe slalom events at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the facility was selected ahead of a rival bid from the French Canoe Federation. Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) will own and operate the FaulknerBrowns Architects-designed venue before and

Plans for the development of a new swimming pool in Bridgwater, Somerset, have received a boost after Somerset County Council approved detailed planning permission. The complex - green lighted by the council's regulation committee - will be sited at the new Chilton Trinity School being built under the Building Schools for the Future programme. Proposals for the Scott Brownrigg Architects-designed facility include a 25m x 13m pool; a 13m x

US-based hotel operator Denihan Hospitality Group is to launch and manage a The James-branded luxury hotel on South Beach, Miami, Florida. The 390-room The James Royal Palm will be located at the historic Royal Palm Hotel which is currently being redeveloped by Denihan. An opening date has been scheduled for late 2012. Plans for the art deco-style property, which is owned by KSL Capital Partners, include a full-service spa, two

A new £30.6m wellbeing centre in Leeds and a £15m leisure, health and social care facility in Sandwell are among four schemes to be given the green light by the government. The Department of Health has announced financial support for the private finance initiative (PFI) projects, which aim to provide community social care and health facilities. Plans for Holt Park Active Living Centre are being overseen by Leeds City Council

Ballymore's plans for the redevelopment of the 10-acre (4-hectare) Leamouth Peninsula site in London's Docklands have been given the green light. The group has been handed planning consent by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation for the scheme, which will include leisure and sports facilities and a public park. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill has drawn up the project's masterplan, with architects such as Glenn Howells Architects, John Pardey Architects and

Gateshead Council has launched the new-look Dunston Leisure Centre, following a £5.1m, year-long redevelopment designed by S&P Architects and delivered by Willmott Dixon. The scheme formed part of a wider £36m investment by the local authority in improving its facilities, which included the revamp of Heworth Leisure Centre completed in late 2010. A new 219sq m (2,357sq ft) gym and two studios have been created as part of the scheme,

A new American Football stadium being developed at the University of North Texas (UNT), US, is to be powered by three wind turbines with the help of a US$2m (£1.2m) grant. The funding has been made available by the State Energy Conservation Office, with the new turbines to supply the electrical grid powering the stadium and associated buildings. UNT is planning to open its new 28,000-seat venue in September, which

North Somerset Council (NSC) has approved planning permission for the development of new visitor facilities at the Grade I-listed Clevedon Pier. Clevedon Pier and Heritage Trust's (CPHT) scheme - designed by Bristol-based O'Leary Goss Architects - was given the go-ahead by NSC's north area committee. Under the trust's plans for the historic pier, a new visitor centre would house purpose-built education, exhibition and refreshment areas in a bid to enhance