The £8m project was designed to drive local participation
UPFRONT PLANNING
Client: Waterlane Leisure Centre, UK Supplier: Pulse
Pulse, which has provided leisure solutions to the local authority sector for 25 years, recently completed the transformation of Waterlane Leisure Centre in Lowestoft, UK. In the role of strategic leisure
development partner to Waveney District Council and Sentinel Leisure Trust, Pulse delivered the £8m redevelopment project in 2012, having fully refurbished and expanded the partly dilapidated site. The leisure centre’s swimming pool, as well as a sports hall, squash courts and gym all dating from the 1980s, have been completely upgraded or replaced. Designed with the key objective
of improving health and fi tness participation in Lowestoft and beyond, the modern leisure centre now comprises a hotel-style reception, café, restaurant, two swimming pools, generous changing facilities, two-fl oor fi tness suite, dance studio, cycling studio, children’s play area and a spa featuring a thermal experience and six treatment rooms. Membership – including gym, swim, classes and spa – costs £32.95; all other activities incur an additional fee. Waterlane represents the largest
single site project undertaken by Pulse, underlining that sizeable leisure developments conceived around sustainable and self-fi nancing models are still attracting funding, in spite of the diffi culties experienced by the
banking sector. Of the £8m raised, Pulse provided £6m from its consortium of corporate banking partners; Waveney District Council contributed £250,000; £1.12m came from a Sport England grant; and a smaller amount was invested by Lowestoft Sixth Form College – one of the community neighbours to use the centre on a weekly basis. But Pulse’s commitment to Waterlane goes beyond design, build and delivery.
“We developed a proposal that allows for a total investment in works, equipment and services worth almost £12m over the next 20 years, while simultaneously enabling the council to reduce its fi nancial support for the site,” says Chris Johnson, Pulse MD. “In addition to providing initial capital investment, we’ve incorporated a planned equipment replacement and facility refresh programme. This has ensured future funding requirements are assessed and dealt with from the outset, which aids business planning, budget forecasts and affordability.” And it’s this future-proofi ng aspect
that underpins the viability of this particular funding model: not only will the projected income from increased membership and revenue opportunities service the investment, but it’s also forecast to reduce Waveney District Council’s subsidy by 62.5 per cent. Pulse will continue to work with
the council over the next 20 years, supporting sales and marketing efforts to ensure that fi nancial and operational targets are met. “We’re usually dependent on the commercial income generated by the facility to recover some or all of our investment in works, equipment and services,” adds Johnson.
“This risk transfer keeps all parties focused on the long-term objectives.”
“The projected income is forecast to reduce the district council subsidy by 62.5 per cent”
July 2013 © Cybertrek 2013
printexperts@printwell.co.uk www.printwell.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94