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The wider of the two 25m pools can host swimming galas, while the smaller pool can be a warm-up facility. Below left: Popular classes at the gym


an international-standard BMX track within its bowl. Currently still under construction, the structure is due to be completed in December this year. This achieves a promise made to


British Cycling to reinstate a cycling fa- cility when Kirkby Leisure Centre – the training home of Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman – was closed some years ago. The new velodrome complements the recently-opened Indoor Cycling Centre in Manchester. It also provides a much an- ticipated BMX facility for local bikers and showcase BMX events.


OurPlace With teenage needs in mind, a new Our- Place youth centre for 13- to 19-year-olds sits alongside the facility. The centre of- fers local children the chance to spend their free time in the media suite, dance studio, café and chill out areas. It also features advice/counselling and


skills training rooms, a multi-use games area and garden allotments.


Learning centre On an adjacent part of the site, just beyond the velodrome, sits a new sec- ondary school for 900 students. Sports facilities on the school site include a third generation floodlit artificial pitch, grass pitches and indoors, a small fitness suite and dance studio.


Issue 4 2011 © cybertrek 2011


with Balfour Beatty, which is Knowsley MBC’s PFI partner for Building Schools for the Future. However, the Leisure and Culture Park is not a PFI scheme and will be operated by the Department of Well- being Services in Knowsley MBC. Key to the scheme’s success will be at-


Financing the new centre In these difficult times for public fi- nances, the Knowsley Leisure Facilities strategy has embraced a major ratio- nalisation of all Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s (MBC) leisure facilities on a ‘hub and spoke’ principle. The £16m cost of the sport and cultural


centre was met by prudential borrowing and council reserves. This is to be paid back upon the sale of former leisure sites when the economy improves. The velo- drome and BMX site cost £1.3m and was financed by grants from British Cycling’s Whole Sport Plan, Sport England and Knowsley PCT. The OurPlace Youth Centre cost £5m and this was met by a Big Lottery grant. The speed of the project build – from


planning consent to virtual completion in 18 months – has been a positive. This was achieved by utilising the existing contract


tracting a large number of members and visitors. Knowsley card members can use an access card to enter the building. Once inside they can pay-as-you-go or buy a gold or silver membership – depending on which facilities they wish to use. An interesting future development


could be the use of the Knowsley card for travel by bus and rail. Early discussions with Merseytravel have provided encour- agement for this idea which may open up the centre to ‘green’ travel – by bike, for example.


Conclusion This new centre is incredibly impressive and when fully open should provide a national exemplar of best practice. It provides inclusive facilities for all ages and abilities; the whole building echoes a commitment to sports and arts. It is truly ‘one building – many functions’. l


John Bell is Honorary Secretary at CCLOA, a director of the Sport and Recreation Alliance and chair of Merseyside Sports partnership


Read Sports Management online sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital 29


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