Consultants hand-over final phase of paignton academy sports hub

Local construction consultants, Haldons Limited, hand-over Phase 2 of the Multi Sports Hub, at Paignton Community and Sports Academy (PCSA). The £150,000 project for a new spectators seating area, which received lottery funding from Sport England, was overseen by Haldons and constructed by SML Contracts. The new spectator’s area is the final phase of the original £1.6m sports arena completed in 2010, which was also funded by Sport England. The multi-use Sports Hub has a floor area of approximately 2,900m2 and is utilised for Badminton, Netball, Tennis, Basketball, Futsal and Cricket, with the flexibility for multiple sports to be played all at one time.

Haldons Ltd., a multi-disciplinary practice with offices in Torquay and Exeter, provided project management, architectural design, quantity surveying, and contract administration and acted as CDM Co-ordinator. As lead consultants, Haldons offered cost consultancy and advice throughout Phases 1 and 2. The cost consultancy firm also assisted the Academy to obtain further funding from Sport England and helped with the complexities of legal documents and paperwork. Phase 2 took three months to complete and came in on time, and under budget.

David Carpenter, Associate Principal/ Director of Sport – PCSA said: “Paul Yandall of Haldons was the lead consultant and integral to the successful build of our exciting Multi Sports Hub from the start. The first phase was so successful that it was a natural choice to select Haldons again for the final project, particularly as they are a Torquay-based company. It is a huge process to undertake and Paul was on-hand to translate many aspects of the project into simple terms. Throughout the build, we changed and adapted the designs to improve the final outcome on many occasions. Both Haldons and SML Contracts were understanding and very amenable giving the best advice and support throughout. With budget constraints, Haldons looked to make cost cuttings where possible, offering practical solutions whilst maintaining a successful build with high-end finish. We are absolutely delighted with the quality and also coming in under budget is a real bonus.”

Paul Yandall, Associate and Senior Quantity Surveyor - Haldons Ltd., said: “Haldons Limited was the lead consultants on the original Sports Hub building which was a really interesting project. We were, therefore, delighted to work again with Paignton Community and Sports Academy on the second and final phase. An excellent specification has been provided in terms of design whilst keeping to a tight budget. We performed well as a team with building contractors SML Contracts. The Sports Hub, including the spectator area, is a fantastic facility for the Academy and for all who live in Torbay."

Haldons future-proofed the project during Phase 1. The Sports Hub included a Mezzanine floor, both for mechanical and electrical services plant, and also to allow for a possible spectator area at a future date when funding became available. The lift which was installed included provision for accessing the Mezzanine level ready for construction.

David Carpenter comments: “The visuals sent from Haldons before construction began were superb. It really helped us to visualise how it was going to look and the final result was spot-on as predicted. A much-needed heated spectator box was created at a cost of £20,000. Haldons recommended a second heated box with seats at a cost of just £5,000 if added during the construction process. This was sound advice as If we’d decided to have this after the construction was complete, it would have cost us another £20,000.”

For the final phase of works, PCSA applied for Lottery funding of £149,500 from Sport England under the ‘Access to Schools fund”, this is fund is awarded to open up facilities on educational sites to the community, to increase participation. The new facilities have transformed the school and is a major lift for the local community who have access in the evenings after the end of the school day. It is particularly popular with local football teams including; 60+, women’s, disabled and youth teams.

The project was also able to access the London Olympic 2012 legacy and apply for seating from the Olympic park to assist the project. The seating was originally used in the eaves of the Aquatic Centre at the Olympic Games and were dismantled when the extra space was no longer required. The Academy secured in excess of 100 seats at an equivalent value of £20,000 and PCSA provided match-funding of £10,000 to allow £179,500 in total available for the build.

Jane English Principal comments: “This is an exciting new era for the Academy and having the spectator area means we can continue to lead on primary and secondary school sport in the bay, hosting dozens of competitions for thousands of young people."

Sara Livesey Chair of Governors added “As a result of being able to accommodate spectators we can now also hold the Devon indoor Cricket championships and Police National Basketball Championships. With the new seating, including wheelchair access, we are able to host most tournaments and competitions in Devon and across for the South West.”