Shipston Leisure Centre Open This Autumn

Work on a new leisure facility at Shipston High School in Warwickshire is well on target, and a contract has also now been awarded to run the facility. Stratford-on-Avon District Council is spending over £2m on the scheme, for which Sports Leisure Management (SLM) have been awarded the contract to manage.

"This has been one of the district council's key priorities and I'm very pleased to say we are on target for an autumn opening," said Cllr Juliet Short, portfolio holder for community services.

"We are providing a new high quality leisure centre to replace the current school swimming pool on an adjacent site with a new five-lane 25 metre pool, air-conditioned health and fitness suite, changing accommodation and a spectator lounge.

"The aim is to encourage a more active and healthy lifestyle, and detailed designs for the proposals were put out to consultation with the local community. There was wide support for new quality leisure facilities to be provided in Shipston and the Stour area."

The district council is working on the £2.15m project with Warwickshire County Council who own the school and land. The contract to design and build the new pool was awarded to Leadbitter Construction Ltd of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Work started in October last year. SLM also manage the Southam, Stratford and Studley leisure facilities on behalf of the district council.