Winchester Sport and Leisure Centre and Design Framework for the Park
Identified as a Council priority in the interests of public health and happiness, the Winchester Sport & Leisure Park will deliver a bespoke, multi-functional Centre to help meet the future sporting and leisure needs of the District. The integrated facilities will have a positive impact on the public health of Park users, ensuring the local population maintain and improve on current health outcomes, and reduce the long-term burden on the NHS arising from inactivity.
With a controlling land interest, the Council instigated a collaborative working approach across adjacent landowners and project funding partners to deliver a multi-use facility for all. Investment in the Park and the creation of a new Sports & Leisure Centre will also support wider regeneration objectives.
In addition to anchoring the Park, the new Centre designed by LA Architects (in partnership with Stride Tregown) will support the objectives of funding partners Hampshire County Council, the University of Winchester and The Pinder Trust. Co-location delivers significant advantages, particularly linked trips and increased take-up of sport and leisure activity.
Shaped by an extensive three phases of public engagement, Stride Treglown prepared a Design Framework and full planning application concurrently, enabling the integrated delivery of a key Community and public asset.
The Design Framework sets out the parameters and design principles that combine together with the new Sport & Leisure Centre to form Winchester Sport & Leisure Park. The long-term vision for the Design Framework aims to create an integrated, attractive and vibrant destination which promotes healthy lifestyles, sporting and leisure activities. Its variety of sporting activities, opportunities to walk in open spaces, promotion of biodiversity and connections to both the city centre and the countryside mean that the Sport & Leisure Park has the potential to become a not only a gateway to the City but also a jewel for the region.
Winchester City Council commissioned Stride Treglown in partnership with LA Architects to be the lead designer for its Sport and Leisure Centre project in Winchester including 3 phases of engagement for its proposed new Leisure Centre and a supporting Urban Design Framework for the wider sports park.
Strides have met our challenging brief and have achieved an excellent level of input and a structured response which has helped inform the design process. This has helped to reassure the Council’s elected members, the general public and other stakeholders that they have had an opportunity to be listened to and to give early input and that a wide representative view has been obtained.
Strides approach to meeting key stakeholders on a one to one basis and being available to discusses issues and concerns at drop in sessions and at exhibitions has been important in terms of meeting the Council’s brief.
Andy Hickman, Head of Programme, Winchester City Council