Blackpool Council (BC) has announced that it will bring forward the opening of a new seafront promenade in a bid to capitalise on the expected increase in domestic tourism. Most of the construction work, which is being carried out by Birse Coastal, is now expected to be completed in time for the summer season. The remaining work will be carried out later this year. Maxine Callow, BC's cabinet member for

A new £100m retail and leisure complex is set to be built at Ty Mawr on Anglesey, North Wales, after councillors gave the green light to plans submitted by developer Ynys Môn Estates. Plans for the 55-acre (22.3-hectare) development near Llanfairpwll, which include a Cineworld multiplex cinema and a ten-pin bowling alley, were originally rejected by Anglesey Council in December. However, because the council's decision went against the recommendations of

UK-based Vitala Group has signed a memorandum of understanding to carry out eight feasibility studies in Vietnam. Most projects are situated within the Ho Chi Minh City district and cover mixed-use developments with leisure elements, a hotel, a themed entertainment project and a tourist resort project to be located in the Khanh Haa Province of Vietnam. Also being considered for development are a marina, port site and freight container port

Designs have been unveiled for a landmark oil & gas museum and exhibition centre set to be built in Al Ahmadi, Kuwait for the Kuwait Oil Company. The 8,800sq m exhibition and display centre has been designed by UK-based Architect Morgan Professional Services (MPS) and will be arranged over three floor levels with a viewing tower above. Nine interactive exhibition spaces will form an integral part of the building and

Leisure Connection has opened a Harpers-branded health club at a leisure centre in Wyboston, Bedfordshire, after completing a £0.5m revamp at the site. The new private health club at Wyboston Health and Fitness, managed by Leisure Connection, features equipment from Technogym and Star Trac as well as range of NXT spin bikes and a boxing fitness zone. The gym has been designed based on a zone layout system, with designated

Amended plans for Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club's (BHAFC) new £65m stadium at Falmer, East Sussex, have been given the green light by local planners. Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) approved revised proposals for the site, which include a complete redesign of the stadium interior and alterations to the roof, as well as plans to deposit excavated chalk onto Village Way South. Work has already got underway on

Southwark Council has approved a £5.5m refurbishment plan to update Dulwich Leisure Centre. The grade II listed, 19th century building will benefit from an improved swimming pool area, a new gym and new wet and dry changing areas. Access for those with disabilities will be incorporated, including hoists into the pool, step-free access and a lift to the first floor studios. Green energy saving features like high-efficiency boilers, roof-mounted solar

The first part of a £10m expansion programme at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley has been unveiled. The three-dimensional interactive guidebook called Heart of the Black Country aims to provide visitors with a more in-depth experience by linking the interior of the museum with the open-air site via a mini graphic representation of what there is to see and do at the 26-acre urban heritage park. It includes

Plans for the redevelopment of Gateshead International Stadium, Tyne and Wear, have been given the green light by the local authority. Gateshead Council has approved proposals to improve the stadium's facilities, which has become one of the top athletics venues in Britain over the past three decades. All of the venue's spectator seating will be replaced and brought undercover as part of the scheme, while new media and hospitality facilities

UK-based hotel group von Essen has postponed the opening of its latest 70-bedroom hotel currently being built by the side of the River Thames in Battersea, London. Verta, the seven-storey hotel, will feature a subterranean spa and a rooftop restaurant. The spa, covering two levels below the boutique property, includes treatment rooms, a hydrotherapy pool and an aromatherapy sanarium. The company has been forced to postpone the opening from June

Construction work on the creation of a new adventure play world at Devonport Park in Plymouth, Devon, has got underway. The scheme will see play equipment installed in three zones, Highlands, Lowlands and Middlelands areas, which have been specially designed by Bristol-based Atkins. A new sensory garden will also be created, along with the installation of new poles, paths and seating areas. A timber playhouse, seesaws, a nest swing and

The Tempe Historical Museum in Arizona, US, is closing its doors to undergo a US$4.1m redevelopment. Weddle Gilmore Architects (WGA) has been selected as the architectural consultant for the project which will see the main gallery and entrances completely refurbished. According to museum officials, the redevelopment will redefine the exhibit area to feature flexible spaces with changing exhibits; integrate new technology with innovative interpretation; increase programming space; and create a

Plans for a new £3m swimming pool in Ripon, North Yorkshire, have been postponed by Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) due to the economic downturn. The development was to be funded from the sale of the city's existing spa baths and through prudential borrowing, but HBC has now admitted that it is currently unable to afford the revenue costs of repaying loans. Under plans outlined in December 2007, the new complex

Starbeck Baths in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, has closed its doors to the public in order to allow work to get underway on a two-month refurbishment of the facility. The centre will reopen on 5 April following the £237,000 revamp, which will include the replacement of floor tiles in the changing rooms, installing new damp proofing measures, and fitting a new energy efficient boiler. A refurbished reception area is also part

Dublin's Lansdowne Road stadium, which is currently undergoing a 411m euro (£371m) redevelopment, has been selected to host the 2011 UEFA Cup final. The new 50,000-seat stadium, which is expected to be completed in 2010, was chosen by European football's governing body, UEFA, following a joint bid from Dublin City Council (DCC) and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). It is hoped that the event will also help to boost

Masterplans for the regeneration of Calgary's east village in Alberta, Canada, are being designed by London-based architect Broadway Malyan on behalf of the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC). The East Village Project includes new arts and cultural facilities, a promenade and an urban beach as well as a new residential development for 12,000 residents, which will be built on the 55-hectare (135-acre) city centre site. There will also be new

Pontin's owner, Ocean Parks, has revealed plans to invest £50m in developing and refurbishing its holiday centres across the UK in a bid to increase tourism. The initial stages of the development scheme will see the refurbishment of all entertainment, catering and bar facilities to coincide with the launch of a improved entertainment programme and menus. Holiday centres at Brean Sands near Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, and Prestatyn Sands in Denbighshire, North

The development of Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, Asia, has passed a key construction phase with the erection of its 150m-high marquee. The 80,000sq m entertainment and shopping centre, designed by UK architect Foster + Partners and initiated by Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbaev, is being built on 7 hectares of land. It is intended to provide a new civic focus for the city. The tent-like

Huntingdonshire District Council has begun the second phase of a £1.5m redevelopment of Huntingdon Leisure Centre. The centre, in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, is undergoing a revamp which has already seen a new mezzanine floor being created across two existing sports courts. The new space houses an Impressions fitness suite, a soft play area and an interactive fitness space. The main part of the second phase will include the introduction of spa

Telford and Wrekin Council (TWC) has launched a public consultation on plans to revamp three Shropshire town centres, including an £8m scheme to create a new civic quarter in Wellington. Local residents will be given the chance throughout February to have their say on proposals for Wellington, which will see improvements made to the town's existing leisure centre. A new library and registry office will also be created. Eric Carter,

A six-day public consultation on the proposed designs of Waterloo City Square in London is underway. Architects DSDHA, EDAW and Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands have drawn up plans to turn a complex of subways around the BFI IMAX cinema into a high-quality public space, on behalf of South Bank Employers' Group (SBEG). The square is one of the capital's busiest transport hubs. Design concepts include five ‘pocket’ parks at the periphery

The Smithsonian Institution has chosen six architectural teams to compete for the £351m ($500m, €391m) contract to design the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, US. Among the finalists are UK-based architects Norman Foster of Foster + Partners in collaboration with URS as well as US-based architects Devrouax & Purnell; Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, which has designed the Museum of Islamic Art in

A new £18m visitor centre is set to be built at the Giant's Causeway World Heritage Site after the scheme was approved by the Northern Ireland Executive's environment minister, Sammy Wilson. Plans for the new centre, which was designed by Dublin-based architects, heneghan.peng, were submitted by the National Trust in June last year to replace a previous facility destroyed by fire eight years ago. Moyle District Council is also involved

A joint venture between British Land and Lend Lease has pulled out of the bidding process for the £1.2bn regeneration of Basildon town centre in Essex due to the economic downturn. Only one bidder – a Barratt Homes/Wilson Bowden consortium – now remains, and discussions will continue with Basildon Council and the Basildon Renaissance Partnership to ensure the project moves forward. Plans for the redevelopment of Basildon include 49,000sq m

CMR Properties and Bespoke Hotels are developing a £30m, 43-acre resort in St Austell. The Cornwall Hotel, Spa & Estate is due to open in 2010, features a 65-bedroom hotel – an 18th century former manor house – but also 60 two and three-bedroom detached woodland homes, which will go on sale on 14 February. Other facilities include two restaurants – Arboretum and Acorns – and a spa with infinity

The design competition for the development of the Brunel Museum in Southwark, London has been won by London-based de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects (dRMM). The focus of the brief was to make the attraction’s 15m-diameter vent shaft and former stairwell to the Thames Tunnel accessible again since its closure in 1865. Alex de Rijke, director at dRMM, said: “Our proposal consists of several ambitious site-specific responses, inspired by the Brunel

The £2m restoration of the 12th century Westminster Abbey Chapter House in central London, considered as the birthplace of parliament, has begun. The house, which was home to the King's Great Council in 1257 and became a meeting place for the House of Commons in the 14th century, will undergo the most comprehensive restoration project since architect Sir George Gilbert Scott worked on it in 1859. English Heritage is leading