Contractors queuing up for rights to new Worcestershire leisure centre

SOME of the country’s leading leisure contractors are bidding for the chance to develop and operate a new Worcestershire leisure centre.  

Wyre Forest District Council is targeting firms interested in designing, building, maintaining and managing a new leisure centre for the area.

The authority recently revealed it is in the process of acquiring a new site for the facility.  This is at Silverwoods, the former British Sugar site, on the Kidderminster to Stourport Road.

The council had been planning to build the new centre on the former Victoria Sports Ground on the corner of Chester Road South and Spennells Valley Road in Kidderminster.  

However, the contract to buy the site was not completed because it was designated a Zone 2 flood risk. The cost of the work to make the site suitable for a leisure centre was therefore deemed economically unviable.  

The council decided to re-advertise the tender for the new leisure centre because of the change of site.  However, it said companies previously shortlisted need not re-apply.

Cllr Ian Hardiman, the council’s cabinet member for Community Well-being, said: “We have some of the country’s leading leisure contractors interested in tendering for the project.  With the change of site we decided to open up this opportunity again.  
“We have given a deadline of the middle of December and then we’ll be able to assess which companies will be part of the tendering process.”

The decision to build a new leisure centre followed a review of council leisure centres in 2011.  It looked at all the options available including closing the centres, refurbishing what the authority already has and building a new centre.

A new centre was found to be the most effective way to save money and offer access to a high quality facility with a broad range of sports and physical activity for all residents into the future.  

The council is also applying to Sport England for grant of up to £2m to help towards the costs of the project. If the application is successful it would result in additional facilities at the site and a reduction in the cost to the taxpayer.  The new centre will be cheaper than keeping the current centres.

“Since the review took place we have been looking at the different options for Stourport Sports Centre.  From the outset we said it would shut if we couldn’t find another organisation to take it on.  Unfortunately any potential organisations which may have been able to enter in to a community asset transfer have not been able to put forward a viable business plan which will not cost the council any money or have said that the building is too much of a liability,” added Hardiman.

“The new leisure centre project is about providing high quality leisure and sports facilities in a modern energy efficient building, whilst saving the council money.”

The leisure centre proposals include a 25 metre, six-lane swimming pool, a learner pool, fitness suite, eight-court sports hall, a climbing wall and outdoor small football pitches. Other facilities include fitness and dance studios and a cafe.