Basildon Sports Village

Dec 2011

SPACE & PLACE worked with PMP Leisure Consultants to investigate Basildon District Councils’ aspiration to create a large Sports Hub to act as a focus for sporting activity in south Essex.

Through the use of workshops with local sports groups and other interested parties, facility mapping and demographics, the team worked with the Council to develop and enhance their understanding of both local and regional need. From this a series of facility options were developed in order to understand the funding requirements and to develop a sustainable financial model. From this funding, procurement options were developed and the team was able to help the Client identify additional capital funding sources.

The final model was based around 3 primary facilities; a 50m swimming pool with moveable floors and booms, an 8-court multi-sports hall and a purpose built new home for the successful South Essex Gymnastics Club. These were supplemented by a gym and studios for both community use and to facilitate cross training, along with a café and bar to help the centre act as a social hub for sport, and a new all-seater stand to the athletics track.

The site, located within an existing park on the edge of the town centre, allows the new facility to work with existing grass sports pitches, all-weather pitches and athletics track.

In addition a longer term aspiration is to draw the local Association football and rugby union teams to the site to provide a full multi-sports environment in the centre of Basildon.