Work has started on the University of Derby’s new £10.8m sports centre at its Kedleston Road site.
The new multi sports centre, which will be open to students, staff and other community organisations, has been designed and engineered to be built into the natural slope of the site, which retains the existing rugby pitch next to Kedleston Road in Derby.
The centre will enable users to stay fit, active and healthy thanks to its impressive facilities which include eight badminton courts, sports hall, gym furnished with the latest equipment, dance studio, squash courts and a climbing wall.
An impressive three lane indoor sprint area with adjacent strength and conditioning areas plus an analysis lab will also enable users to take their training to the next level. This centre will also be used by the University’s sports students to do certain practical work as part of their programme.
Hari Punchihewa, Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director at the University of Derby, said: “At Derby we are serious about sport, and have shown it by making such a significant investment in the new centre. When completed, the building will give us some of the best sporting facilities in the Midlands, providing the perfect place for our students to participate, develop and achieve even more through our Team Derby brand.”
Derby-based contractor, G F Tomlinson has been awarded the project. Barry Sewards, Group Chairman, said:
“We are really excited to work on this project and thank the University for giving us an opportunity to create such a fantastic new facility in Derby. This new centre will be visually appealing with a green curved roof and will be built within the existing grass bank, minimising its visual impact on the environment”.
He added: “We hope that the generosity of the University in making this available not only to the students but the public will be used to its full extent after its opening, which will be during the summer of 2015”.
