Sports centre approved for south coast university

University of Portsmouth has been given planning permission by Portsmouth City Council to build a £53M sports facility, available for student, staff and community use.

Facilities at the centre will include an eight-court sports hall, eight-lane 25m swimming pool, fitness suite, multipurpose studios, squash courts, climbing wall and a ski simulator. The building will also have teaching facilities, office space and an underground car park.

Located by the junction of Cambridge Road and Museum Road, the building is said to have been sensitively designed to appear as a pavilion within Ravelin Park. With a predominantly glazed ground floor, users of the pool will feel as if they are swimming in the park. Inside the building there will be views of the wide range of sporting activities with the climbing wall rising up through the heart of the building.

Graham Galbraith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, said: “This is a very exciting development for the University. We want the very best for our students. This new facility will help us to deliver an outstanding student experience and create a dynamic sporting environment, as well as connecting us with our local community and making a significant contribution to our city.”

Irina Korneychuk, Project Leader at architects FaulknerBrowns, said: “We are delighted to have secured the support of the City Council for this scheme which will bring a new sports facility into Portsmouth. The development is not only looking to promote integration of the University campus with its surroundings, but to deliver wider benefits to the students and local communities.”