New £27m Holt Park wellbeing centre gets final go-ahead
Published on: 15th December 2011
Work on a new £27m wellbeing centre for Holt Park in Leeds will begin next month after the scheme was given its final confirmation this week.
Leeds City Council, who are overseeing the project, have been given the good news from the Department of Health that the creation of the new centre has cleared its final hurdle with the final business case being formally approved by the Treasury and contracts being signed.
The project, costing approximately £27m, will see a new centre created which will be one of the first of its kind in the UK combining services provided by the council’s adult social care, youth and sports services and the local community all under one roof.
The creation of the centre is to be funded through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and carried out through the Local Education Partnership and their contractor Interserve Project Services Ltd.
The new centre is to be created on Holtdale Approach as a replacement for the current Holt Park Leisure Centre with work beginning early in January and the centre being scheduled to open in December 2013.
A decision over the project had been put on hold by the government in June 2010 due to the economic downturn before the scheme was given initial backing to proceed by the Department of Health in April this year.
Leeds City Council executive member for adult health and social care Councillor Lucinda Yeadon said:
“This is fantastic news. The delay did cause uncertainty for everyone involved but the news that we can now get on and build this superb new centre is wonderful and is a great pre-Christmas boost. The new centre will provide a much-needed resource for the whole community of north-west Leeds to access a whole range of health facilities and services and so we can’t wait to see it built and open.”
Leeds City Council executive member for leisure Councillor Adam Ogilvie said:
“We are delighted that this project has now been given full approval to proceed. The new centre will be a real ‘one-stop shop’ for people of all ages to make use of a wide variety of leisure, health and council services and it is sure to be another great facility for the city to be proud of.”
The new centre will enable people to access social care and community facilities within their local area. It will also help people with greater needs such as a physical or learning disability or a mental health problem access the personalised services they need confidently and easily, as well as providing state-of-the-art new leisure facilities.
The new centre will provide a community hub for the area and will feature:
§ hydrotherapy pool
§ 25-metre swimming pool
§ teaching pool
§ multi-activity rooms
§ meeting areas
§ café
§ older people’s hub
§ learning disabilities hub
§ studio
§ Bodyline gym
§ garden area
§ large activity hall
§ Changing Places facilities
The facilities mix was decided following a wide-ranging and ongoing consultation programme with local residents, community groups and NHS Leeds, with a working group being established which has played a key role in the development of the centre.
The Department of Health funding, which is only available for the provision of new-build facilities, covers the build of the new centre and lifecycle costs, security, maintenance and cleaning services for a 25-year period.
For further information visit wellbeing@leeds.gov.uk or call sport capital investment manager Helen Evans on 0113 224 3184.
