News Article

Sunderland City Council has appointed Balfour Beatty as the contractor to build the City's prestigious new 50m swimming pool.

The project that includes the construction of the regional 50m swimming pool, built to Olympic standards, and state-of-the-art Wellness Centre will commence later this month at Stadium Park near the Stadium of Light.  Local architects, Red Box Design Group, developed the scheme as part of a consultant team including ARUP and Davis Langdon.

Site preparation work has already started on site and members of the public can expect to see the site compound appearing from early March 2006 with an expected project completion date of early 2008.

The flagship pool will be the largest between Leeds and Edinburgh and will provide much needed facilities for the whole of Sunderland and the region, including:
- A 25m wide main pool with 10 lanes, a moveable floor and a moveable boom to allow maximum flexibility of use.
- A 25m wide multi-purpose diving tank with a moveable floor and a variety of double width diving boards.
- Seating for 500 spectators.

Recent design enhancements to the scheme include improved changing facilities for schools, the introduction of purpose designed facilities for sensitive groups, the inclusion of the Wellness Centre in the first phase and additional glazing.  The construction cost is £19.8m.

The excellent facilities offered by the City's 50m pool mean that it will act as a regional hub for performance swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo and attract high-profile national and regional competitions to Sunderland.  The pool will also be very much a community pool providing facilities for local schools.  It could also be offered as a training base for swimmers competing in the 2012 London Olympics.

A state-of-the-art Wellness Centre will be attached to the 50m pool development to increase participation in exercise and encourage communities, through support and learning, to choose a healthy lifestyle.  The Wellness Centre will be part of a network of six others located across the City that will deliver integrated health services in partnership with the Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust.

The project has been funded by Sunderland City Council, Sport England, European Regional Development Fund, One North East, TyneWear Partnership, Sunderland arc and Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Balfour Beatty won the major contract following a tough tendering process. The international construction, engineering and services company was awarded the contract due to its strong bid and ability to demonstrate the highest standards of workmanship within the specified budget.

Kevin Donegan, Director, Balfour Beatty Construction, said today:  "Kevin Donegan, Director, Balfour Beatty Construction, said today:  "We are delighted to be working with Sunderland City Council in realising its objective to provide a 50 metre Olympic swimming pool for the area"

Councillor Bob Symonds, Leader of Sunderland City Council, said:  "The appointment of Balfour Beatty is a significant step forward in the development of the 50m pool and wellness centre and marks an important date in the progress of this truly ambitious project.  Major works on site will begin to move forward at a pace and regular progress updates will be produced to ensure that everyone feels part of this iconic regional development, right here in Sunderland."

Judith Rasmussen, Regional Director of Sport England North East, said:  "Sport England North East and the Regional Sports Board are very pleased to be part of the development of the first 50m pool in the region. Swimming is a very popular activity in the North East and we also have a great record of competing at the highest levels so to be able to provide world class facilities for both swimming and diving is tremendous"

John Rundle, Director, Europe, Government Office for the North East, said:  "I am delighted Government Office has been able to support this exciting project with European funding.  These are the kind of facilities the region needs if we are to produce competitors at an Olympic level."

John Homes, Director of Regeneration and Tourism said; "This is another important step forward in the regeneration of Sunderland City Centre. The 50m pool will not only provide a facility capable of attracting major events to the region but it will also play a key role in the proposed Sports Village development on the Stadium Park site and is a great example of how sport can be used to drive regeneration."

Chris Thompson, Chair of TyneWear Partnership, said: “We are working very closely with all our partners to ensure that sport is high up the cultural agenda because we believe it has an important and transformational role to play in the regeneration of the region. Sunderland’s new 50 metre pool will give us a sporting facility that the region can be proud of and we are delighted to be involved.”

Tom Macartney, Chief Executive of Sunderland arc, said:  "The commencement of the construction of the 50m swimming pool is a significant milestone in the creation of a regional leisure destination at the Stadium Park Sports Village site. The attraction of regional and national competitions to the facility once complete will be a huge boost to the project and the city as a whole."

Councillor Mel Speding, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Art, Sport and Leisure, said:  "This development will create an important legacy for Sunderland and the wider region and create world-class facilities for local communities to enjoy."

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