Southampton leisure centre project set to begin

Main contractor Morgan Sindall is set to start work on the £36 million Outdoor Sports centre project in Southampton.

The contract represents the first phase of the comprehensive redevelopment of the sports centre that has been part of the city landscape since 1938.

Work includes the construction of a two-storey community hub that will provide two covered netball and tennis courts, a gym and fitness suite, flexible spaces for public use, and a café with a balcony.

Other new amenities will include an athletics grandstand with storage facilities, a running track pavilion, a reception area for the alpine ski centre, as well as three artificial grass football pitches.

Councillor Toqeer Kataria, Cabinet Member for Communities and Leisure, said: “I am delighted that the works to the Outdoor Sports Centre project are about to start!

“The new state-of-the-art facilities will also significantly help improve health inequalities often felt by our most deprived communities and create many new jobs and opportunities for local people.”

Councillor Simon Letts, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, said: “Morgan Sindall have been appointed to develop and deliver the ambitious sports centre improvements on behalf of the council. The upgrades will help put the sports centre on the map, developing key areas in both competitive sports and leisure facilities.”

The work on the Outdoor Sports Centre is due to complete in early 2027, with the facility remaining open throughout the construction.