Work is gathering pace on two schemes that will transform the Northumberland leisure and lifestyle scene.
Henry Riley has been appointed lead consultant on a project to bring a £21m leisure centre to Morpeth. The Newcastle division of the international property and construction consultancy will provide quantity surveying, employer’s agent and principal designer services for the scheme, which will see the creation of a new centre with a 25-metre swimming pool, sports hall, spa facilities, fitness suite and studios. It will also have a new community services hub that will include a library, customer service centre and adult learning area.
Construction work is due to start next year, with the centre open for business in 2021.
Meanwhile, a £20m project to build a new leisure centre in Berwick has been given the green light by planners. The existing Swan Centre is being demolished in phases to ensure continuity of leisure services for local residents and replaced with a new facility with a 25-metre swimming pool, sports hall, an outdoor all-weather football pitch, fitness suite, fitness studios and spa facilities. Construction work is due to start by the end of this year, with the centre operational in 2021.
Advance Northumberland, the development arm of Northumberland County Council, is project-managing both schemes supported by Henry Riley and several other key partners. Both schemes are being funded by the council.
Joel Neasham, senior associate at the Newcastle office of Henry Riley – which is also the lead consultant on the Berwick project – said: “We’re delighted to be involved in two schemes that will bring a much-needed boost to Northumberland’s thriving leisure scene. Both centres will have top-quality facilities that will benefit residents of Berwick and Morpeth, as well as those living further afield.
“There’s a huge demand for this type of facility as consumers increasingly take up fitness and well-being activities to lead a healthier lifestyle. Health and well-being are important considerations for many people nowadays, so we’re delivering services that make it easier for them to adopt this lifestyle.”
Part of the Riley Consulting group of companies, Henry Riley is an international property and construction consultancy that works across the built environment spectrum, offering cost management, project management, health and safety and innovative digital services. The company has worked on various notable projects across the North of England in the health, leisure, retail, commercial, education, residential, industrial and logistics, and transport and infrastructure sectors.