Client: Chiltern District Council
Project: Chilterns Lifestyles Centre
Having delivered the Authority’s Sports Facilities Strategy, KKP assessed the feasibility of options for a new leisure/community hub to replace the ageing Chiltern Pools and other community buildings. The new venue eventually developed comprised main, teaching and diving pools, sports hall, squash courts, fitness, studios, climbing, soft play and kids’ party zone, café, spa, community zone; library, meeting rooms, children’s pre-school provision and event/concert space plus informal outdoor recreation provision.
KKP project managed stakeholder and public consultation processes securing a response rate of over 2,500 giving the Council a strong investment mandate. We also solved an enabling problem related to the need to encroach onto the protected adjacent KGV playing facility leading negotiation with Fields in Trust and the Town Council to achieve this.
The multi-functional space in the new facility caters for all sport/physical and community activity plus a range of co-located services including pre-school nursery, library and community centre and cater for everything from nursery provision and youth groups through to U3A programmes.
To support procurement of the Council’s new operator, KKP reviewed its other sports facilities to gauge the potential impact of the new centre and identify options for improvements and the efficiencies now being delivered as part of the new leisure management contract.
The process transformed the community and financial performance of the centre in Amersham from a deficit of c. £200k per annum to a surplus of £900k+. Its performance fully validates our forecasting and is enabling repayment of the Council’s capital investment.