Case Study — Sport & Leisure Newbold Comyn & St Nicholas Park Leisure Centres
Quantity Surveyor, with NEC project management support, for the £12.65m refurbishment and extension of two existing public leisure centres in Royal Leamington Spa, from RIBA Stage 0 to handover in 2018.
The challenge
Refurbishing and extending two live leisure centres
A local authority client set out to transform two of its leisure centres in Royal Leamington Spa. At Newbold Comyn, that meant a two-storey extension that grew the footprint by 70%, a new sports hall, three fitness studios, a 100-station gym, a climbing wall and a biomass boiler, alongside a full pool and changing refurbishment. At St Nicholas Park, a new reception, café and gym, and a complete pool plant replacement.
The centres had to keep serving the public throughout: whenever one pool was closed, the other had to stay open. A high water table at Newbold Comyn meant the pool could not be fully drained, so its plant had to be replaced around it.
This was a refurbishment and extension project, not a new build. New pool plant, filtration, boilers and building services had to be designed and installed around existing mechanical and electrical systems that were still serving the buildings, with temporary plant keeping the centres running until the new systems could take over.
Delivered by Ollie Thompson MRICS in a previous role at Mace.
Project facts
At a glance
A refurbishment and extension of two occupied buildings, appointed from RIBA Stage 0 through to handover on an NEC Option A contract with client amendments.
Client
Local authority
Location
Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Value
£12.65m
Contract
NEC Option A with client amendments
Our role
Quantity Surveyor, with light-touch NEC project management (early warnings and compensation events)
RIBA stages
0–6, completed 2018
Newbold Comyn
Two-storey extension, sports hall, 100-station gym, 3 studios, pool refurbishment, biomass boiler
St Nicholas Park
New reception, café and gym, pool filtration and full plant replacement
Contractor
Speller Metcalfe
Our approach
Protecting cost and service across two live sites
Cost Planning
Involved from the very start, with cost plans for both centres reflecting the risks of working with existing structures and services, giving the client a clear budget position as the design developed.
Value Engineering
A further 10% value engineering saving was achieved at design stage, without losing the facilities the client wanted.
Procurement
The contractor was appointed through a competitive tender and interview process, on an NEC Option A contract with client amendments.
NEC Contract Management
Light-touch NEC project management support, managing early warnings and compensation events through the contract.
Existing Buildings & Services
Works were carefully coordinated with the existing M&E, including temporary plant and a phased switchover, and sequenced so one pool always stayed open. Compensation events were assessed for cost and time.
Handover
Both centres were completed in 2018 and handed back to the client.
The outcome
Two existing leisure centres, transformed
Refurbishment and extension
Two existing leisure centres extended and refurbished while both stayed open to the public.
Value engineering saving
Achieved at design stage, on top of the competitive tender.
Larger footprint
At Newbold Comyn, with a new sports hall, gym and studios.
Images: Speller Metcalfe. See our Cost & Commercial Management and Project & Programme Management services, or view all projects.
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