Pontcysyllte Aqueduct near Wrexham, North Wales, is set to undergo a makeover in a bid to mark its designation as a World Heritage Site earlier this year. The structure's 1,007ft (307m) iron trough lining is to be drained and cleaned in preparation for the 2010 visitor season, allowing for a four-day inspection to be carried out. Work on the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal Project will be carried out as the

Work has started on the £48m redevelopment of the Rose Bowl stadium near Southampton, which aims to transform the venue into a leading international cricket venue. Two new stands - designed by EPR Architects in conjunction with The Miller Partnership - will be constructed either side of the existing pavilion as part of the project in order to increase the venue's permanent capacity to 15,000. Due for completion in April

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has announced the opening of the first of its Aloft brand hotels in the Middle East, the Aloft Abu Dhabi. The new hotel is linked directly to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), a development consisting of premium office towers, luxury hotels and residences, restaurants, shopping and a marina. Featuring 408 loft-like rooms, the hotel's facilities include the re:mix communal lobby area and w

Bristol City Football Club's (BCFC) plans for the development of a new multi-million pound stadium at Ashton Vale have been handed a boost by the local authority. Planning officials at Bristol City Council (BCC) have been minded to approve the scheme, which includes the 30,000-seat venue, a hotel and part of a housing scheme on the Alderman Moores allotments site. However, the development proposals could face a £5.5m shortfall after

Sheffield United Football Club (SUFC) has been given planning permission for the redevelopment of the South Stand at its Bramall Lane stadium by Sheffield City Council (SCC). The scheme will include an additional tier of seating in the South Stand, which will complement the club's proposed redevelopment of the Kop stand in a bid to increase the venue's capacity to around 44,000 spectators. New purpose-built exhibition and conference facilities, additional

An artificial surf reef, which has been created 225m (738ft) off the coast at Boscombe, near Bournemouth, Dorset, has finally opened following a series of delays. Construction of the new reef, which is the first of its kind to be built in the northern hemisphere, was hampered by poor weather conditions during the 2008-09 winter months. However, Bournemouth Borough Council (BBC) has confirmed the reef is now ready to use

The Yorkshire Museum, one of the world's oldest purpose-built museums, has closed its doors to the public in order to allow a £2m refurbishment to get underway. Plans for the attraction, as part of the Letting in the Light scheme, will result in a complete overhaul of its interior, which will place the city's Roman heritage at the centre of the new-look museum. New exhibitions will highlight the museum's medieval

East Northamptonshire Council (ENC) has announced it has reached an agreement with a local rugby club over the proposed site of a new £13m leisure centre in Rushden. Rushden and Higham Ferrers Rugby Club had voiced concerns that the Manor Park plans would result in the loss of its pitches, but ENC has now struck a deal with the club to provide two pitches as part of the scheme. ENC

A new £12.2m swimming pool and fitness complex - one of the largest to be built at a UK university - is expected to open at the University of Leeds, West Yorkshire, in summer 2010. Hertfordshire-based construction company Willmott Dixon is building the new facility, which has been designed by the London-based architects behind the 2012 Olympic Aquatic Centre, S&P. Facilities at the new complex will include an eight-lane, 25m

London mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled a new X-shaped pedestrian crossing at Oxford Circus, following the completion of a £5m scheme to reduce overcrowding. Tourists and shoppers will now have the chance to cross the junction in a diagonal direction in addition to the traditional straight ahead method as part of a design modelled on Tokyo's Shibuya crossing in Japan. It is hoped that the redesign of the junction where

Work has started on erecting the frame of the new Pavilion building on The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare. More than 100 tonnes of steel per week will be used to form the structure of the new building, which has been designed by Bristol-based architect, Angus Meek. In total more than 1,100 tonnes of steel is being supplied by local firm Hayley Engineering for the project. Pier owner Kerry Michael said,

The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford is set to reopen on 7 November, following the completion of a major £61m redevelopment at the attraction. A new 10,000sq m (107,639sq ft) building - designed by London-based Rick Mather Architects - has been built to double the museum's existing display space and will comprise 39 new galleries, including four temporary exhibition spaces. Exhibition design company Metaphor has worked alongside

The largest cruise liner ever built, the Oasis of the Seas has left the Finnish city of Turku, where it was built, and has set off towards its future home port of Fort Lauderdale in Florida, US. The 260m (1,180ft)-long vessel will join the US-based Royal Caribbean International fleet later this month and will sail its full maiden voyage with passengers on 5 December following an official naming ceremony on

Construction work on a new 25,000-seat stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, US, which will provide a new home for New York Red Bulls, has reached a fresh milestone after the final piece of turf was laid. The Red Bull Arena has been designed by Los Angeles-based Rossetti Architects to be more in line with soccer venues across the world. Supporters will be seated 21ft (6.4m) from the pitch, fully covered

One of Gateshead's most iconic pubs is set to undergo a major revamp after the local authority agreed to help fund the restoration of the Grade II-listed property. The Central, which is situated in the town's Bridges Conservation Area, has been acquired by The Head of Steam pub chain and is now set to be fully revitalised by its new owners. Gateshead Council has contributed more than £142,000 from its

Plans by Tiger Developments for a £250m (US$409.2m, 276.7m euro) scheme in the centre of Edinburgh, which would have included a 17-storey, leaf-shaped Intercontinental Hotel and a Travelodge, have been turned down by the Scottish Government. Although passed by the city council in 2008, a public enquiry into the project - designed by Richard Murphy Architects and also featuring offices and retail space - found that the 17-storey hotel would

Plans for the creation of a new £13m urban park in the heart of Birmingham are set to receive the go ahead when Birmingham City Council's (BCC) cabinet meets on 2 November. Councillors will be asked to approve the final cost and the appointment of a contractor to lead the Eastside City Park scheme, which will be the first urban park developed in the city for more than 125 years.

New York City Council has approved the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) proposal for a new 82-storey tower. The 1,050ft (320m) mixed-use tower, designed by architect Jean Nouvel, will be on West 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, the same Manhattan block on which the museum already has its main exhibition area. MoMA says the museum will gain around 40,000sq ft (3,716sq m) of new gallery space, a 30

Designs for the US$220m (£134m, 148.5m euro) Miami Art Museum in Florida, US have been revealed. The museum – designed by renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron – will be the centrepiece of the Miami Museum Park, which, as previously reported in Leisure Opportunities, will also feature the US$275m (£172m, 188m euro) Miami Science Museum, designed by British firm Grimshaw Architects. The museum will boast 200,000sq ft of programmable space,

Plans for the Northumberland Development Project, which will include a new 56,250-seat stadium for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) have been submitted to Haringey Council. The projected capacity of the stadium has been reduced from 58,000 after the club revised the plans to incorporate a new 63-row, single-tier stand, which it is hoped will create "the most atmospheric stadium in Europe". In addition to the proposed stadium, the multi-million pound

The 391-bedroom Trump SoHo New York hotel will open its doors in the city’s Lower Manhattan district on 1 February 2010. Designed by Handel Architects, the hotel will become the fifth site in the Trump Hotel Collection – a portfolio of luxury properties owned by US entrepreneur Donald Trump. Facilities at Trump SoHo New York will include a Spa at Trump-branded beauty spa, three high-end restaurants and more than 12,000sq

The Soaring Eagle Inn & Conference Centre in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, US is to be demolished and a new hotel and waterpark built in its place. The inn is owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, whose Migizi Economic Development Company announced the news. The three-star, 120-bedroom hotel will boast a bar and a restaurant that will overlook the existing golf course, as well as the 45,000sq ft indoor waterpark.

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, US, is to open a new 250-seat theatre, which forms part of its US$300m renovation. The Solomon Victory Theatre is the centrepiece of the renovation – which will quadruple the size of the museum – and will be officially opened on 6 November, alongside the Stage Door Canteen and the American Sector restaurant. The theatre boasts a 30ft tall sharkstooth scrim screen

Construction work has started on a £9m scheme to restore the Gwyn Hall in Neath, South Wales, two years after the venue was severely damaged by fire. Swansea-based contractor John Weaver has been appointed to carry out the scheme, the first stage of which includes stonework repairs, cleaning and re-pointing. The main restoration work is set to get underway in the New Year. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC)

Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels has opened the ninth of its Peninsula-branded hotels, in Shanghai itself. The first new building on the city's river front Bund in more than 60 years, The Peninsula Shanghai occupies a prime site on the Huangpu River beside the former British Consulate Gardens and the Suzhou Creek. The hotel features 235 guest rooms and suites, with four themed suites - the Astor, Majestic, Palace and

Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has opened the Grand Hyatt Macau on the territory's Cotai Strip in the new City of Dreams development. The 791-guestroom hotel houses one of the largest event spaces in Macau and, with 15 individual function areas spanning more than 968,000sq ft (90,000sq m), Hyatt sees the hotel as becoming the leading MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) venue in the region. The 424 rooms and suites

A new report has concluded that there are no major issues preventing plans for the construction of a £40bn floating airport off the Essex and Kent coasts in the Thames Estuary. The feasibility study, which was carried out by the Thames Estuary Research and Development Company (TERDC), called for further studies to investigate the ecological impact of the scheme but found no "insoluble issues" to halt the proposals. London mayor