Leisure centre work set to start after £6m contract award

Preparations are currently taking place on the site of the doomed Abbey Leisure Centre, where construction will get under way during February.

Selby's new leisure centre will be delivered by Wates Construction after it was today announced that they had won the contract, worth in the region of £6m.

Reconstruction costs for the Scott Road centre will be partly met by a £2m lottery grant awarded through Sport England. The remainder of the bill will be paid from insurance money paid to the council after the Abbey Leisure Centre was destroyed by fire.

Facilities offered at the replacement centre will include a six-lane 25m competition swimming pool together with a smaller learner pool. A modern gymnasium, steam room and sauna facilities will also be provided.

An outside all-weather sports pitch will also be constructed to the rear of the new centre replacing the tired pitches offered previously.

The original Abbey Leisure Centre was destroyed by fire in February 2012 after fire broke out in the steam room as the centre prepared to open.

David Price, Business Unit Director, Wates Construction, Yorkshire, commented, “We have an excellent site team in place that will work in partnerhip with Selby Council to ensure the new facility fulfils their vision for a state-of-the-art community leisure centre.”

Leader of Selby District Council, Cllr Mark Crane added, “We are delighted to see the new leisure centre begin to take shape. And the boost for the district in terms of local training and employment opportunities provided by Wates is an added bonus.”

The project is expected to be completed by January next year.