Work on Sporting Village will start in October

Construction of a £38million regional sports facility in Basildon, Essex will begin in October.

The Basildon Sporting Village will provide the only 50-metre swimming pool in Essex, and only the second in the East of England, and will open in April 2011. The facility that will also include a regional gymnastics centre has already been named in LOCOG's official Pre Games Training camp guide for London 2012.

Councillors on the cabinet and full council agreed to award the contract to Community Solutions for Leisure (CSL) and approved a detailed funding plan for the project last night.

Cllr Stephen Horgan, Deputy Leader of the council, says: "This is a transformational project for sport, healthy living and the promotion of active lifestyles in the Basildon District and across the region. We can be proud that we will be creating a facility that will include the only 50 metre pool in Essex and a regional gymnastics centre for gymnasts from novice to Olympian standard. The most important point though is that the Sporting Village is for everybody from residents that want to lead an active life to competition athletes through to the Champions of the future.

The people of Basildon District deserve the best."

The Sporting Village will provide facilities for a wide range of sports, including athletics, swimming, diving, gymnastics, trampoline, badminton, netball, basketball, and 5 a side football. There will be a 50 metre competition size swimming pool with seating for 450 spectators. It will also boast a large sports hall, a regional gymnastics centre, fitness centre, multi purpose studio and climbing wall.

The scheme is being delivered through a 25-year agreement between Community Solutions for Leisure (CSL) and Basildon Council. CSL's construction partner Morgan Ashurst will build the new centre and Morgan Professional Services will carry out civil and structural engineering design and mechanical and electrical design. All three organisations are part of leading construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall. Collectively, they bring a wealth of experience of building leisure facilities and can provide specialist skills in design construction and investment.

Nigel Franks, general manager of Community Solutions for Leisure (CSL) says:

"Since our appointment in April 2009 as Preferred Partner for the Basildon Sporting Village project, we have developed a strong partnership with the council.

" Together we are working actively to provide state-of-the-art sports and leisure facilities, offering value for money and a real source of pride for the residents of Basildon. We are excited to assist the council in delivering facilities that not only promise to put Basildon on the map as a training venue for the London 2012 Olympics, but offer families, children and adults the real opportunity to put sport and well-being at the heart of their leisure activities.

" Following the council's decision, it gives us great pleasure to take the project forward in partnership with our construction and leisure management partners, Morgan Ashurst and Sport and Leisure Management (SLM), and with works beginning in October 2009, we look forward to opening the doors in Spring 2011.

We are confident the Sporting Village will increase sports participation, community integration and encourage healthy living in Basildon and we are proud to be the chosen partner to work with the council to make this great facility a reality for Basildon residents."

"As a company that works in the heart of communities, we are determined to involve local people every step of the way," says Peter Whitmore, Morgan Ashurst operations director. "This means we will be using local suppliers and subcontractors whenever possible to generate maximum benefit for the local economy."

Funding grants for the project have come from Essex County Council, the HCA, Sport England and Veolia ES Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust.

Other facilities include six floodlit five-a-side artificial pitches, meeting and function rooms, a café and car parking. 12 national standard netball courts have already been completed, and Basildon rugby club also has planning permission to set up their new home at the park.

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