NPS North West designs leisure centre extension and state of the art refurbishment in Wigan
Local property services consultancy firm NPS North West were commissioned by Wigan Council to design and supervise the works of a new extension and internal refurbishment works to Ashton Leisure Centre which opened in April.NPS North West were appointed to complete the full range of multi-disciplinary services on the project. Warden Construction were chosen, following a tender process, as the contractor on the scheme on a partnering basis.
This was the fourth leisure centre to receive an upgrade as part of the Deal for Health and Wellness, which has seen Wigan Council invest a total of £6 million to date.The £3.2m scheme at the leisure centre includes a new 80 station gym equipped with the latest Technogym kit, group exercise and indoor cycling studios, along with a sauna, steam rooms and additional changing facilities. A synthetic pitch and a multi-use games area (MUGA) has also been installed to enable group and community bookings at the site which will be managed by Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles on behalf of Wigan Council.
Overcoming ChallengesThe project itself was not without its challenges.
Cansfield High School share a building with Ashton Leisure Centre therefore this had to be considered throughout the project. For example, prior to the refurbishment works, there was a shared corridor for members of the public and high school pupils. Now the school have access to the sports hall via a route that maintains segregation from the general public.In addition, the original proposal involved the installation of a platform lift between two existing stair flights, however a number of water, heating and gas pipes in the ceiling space prevented this solution from being implemented. The platform lift was therefore re-located in the space created by the removal of the stairs from the half landing up to the first floor and an existing set of stairs were refurbished and configured to give access to the first floor. All of these changes were planned and accommodated during the construction phase of the contract.
Success The grand re-opening of the leisure centre took place on 30th April 2018. Within the first few days following the handover, gym membership levels immediately started to rise. Wigan Council’s lead member for leisure, Councillor Jim Moodie said, “Ashton Leisure Centre is an exciting project for residents and the improvements will continue to benefit the health of local people in-line with the Deal for Health and Wellness”
