Contractor appointed on £60m Commonwealth Games venue
Wates Construction has been appointed as the design and construction partner for the new £60m Sandwell Aquatics Centre,which will host the swimming and diving competitions for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The contractor and council have been working in partnership to develop the construction programme and design for the facility.
Wates was appointed via Major Works – UK, part of the Scape National Construction framework.
Plans for Sandwell Aquatics Centre were approved by the council’s planning committee last month and ratified at a full council meeting on 9 April.
John Carlin, regional managing director, Wates Construction Midlands, said: “It is a huge privilege to be appointed as the design and construction partner for this important community facility for Smethwick. As a locally-based company, we’re extremely excited to be part of the area’s changing landscape but more importantly, we’re working hard to create a lasting legacy. We’re committed to delivering an exemplary project that creates a tangible economic and social impact and is completed on time and to budget.”
Alison Knight, Sandwell Council’s executive director for neighbourhoods, said: “This is a very exciting development for Sandwell, bringing a much needed modern leisure facility for our residents in Smethwick. We look forward to working with Wates and seeing the delivery of a world class facility that will serve the residents of Sandwell for decades to come.”
Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, added: “The Sandwell Aquatic Centre is a perfect example of the benefits of using Scape as procurement route, our frameworks are designed for efficiency and certainty, while delivering significant levels of local economic engagement which is vital to Sandwell Council and the success of this project.”
