Durham County Council鈥檚 development partner Alliance Leisure has brought in Morgan Sindall as main contractor for a new 拢27.3m leisure centre in Bishop Auckland.
The new centre replaces Woodhouse Leisure Complex in Bishop Auckland, which dates back to the early 1970s.
The new Bishop Auckland leisure centre will have a 25-metre, six-lane main pool and a 20-metre four-lane teaching pool with moveable floors, as well as a large gym, two exercise studios and an adventure play area for children.
The facility also incorporates a public library to cater for healthy minds as well as healthy bodies.
Architecturally, the centre has been designed with pitched roofs and large windows to maximise natural light and blend with the local environment. Targeting a BREEAM Very Good rating, the building will be fully electric, using air source heat pumps and renewable energy systems to minimise costs.
The development is the first new build project in the county council鈥檚 leisure transformation programme but it is fifth scheme to be delivered by Alliance Leisure for the council since 2022, following refurbishments of facilities in Consett, Pity Me, Peterlee and Stanley.
Alliance Leisure commercial director James Foley said: 鈥淭he Bishop Auckland project marks an exciting new chapter in our long-standing partnership with Durham County Council. Building on the success of previous regeneration projects, this flagship development brings together health, wellbeing, culture and learning in one modern, inclusive and sustainable space. I鈥檓 proud of the Alliance Leisure team and our partners for their continued innovation and commitment to creating facilities that truly reflect community needs and support Sport England鈥檚 priorities.鈥�
Cllr Joe Quinn, cabinet member for resources, investment and assets at Durham County Council, said: 鈥淭he project is part of our leisure transformation programme to modernise leisure facilities across the county as well as our ongoing regeneration of the town. The new venue will bring leisure and library services together in a single, modern site with new features to make our services accessible to all ages and abilities and support community wellbeing.鈥�
Bishop Auckland will be Morgan Sindall鈥檚 second project with Alliance Leisure, having previously worked together on a similar facility in Caerphilly.
Alex Isted, Morgan Sindall鈥檚 northeast and Cumbria area director, said: 鈥淥ne of our core tenets at Morgan Sindall is a commitment to creating community 鈥� what better way to pay homage to that, than to contribute our leisure facilities expertise to creating a vibrant community hub for Durham.鈥�
The project team also includes Axiom (project management), DPP (planning consultancy) and GT3 Architects (lead designers). The project was procured through the UK Leisure Framework, managed by Denbighshire Leisure Ltd.
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