WORK on building the flagship Tameside Wellness Centre - Denton is progressing well with the construction taking shape.
The innovative project combines leisure, community and wellness facilities, including a competition swimming pool and 10-pin bowling alley. The development is on target to achieve its completion date of early spring.
Tameside Council Executive Leader Cllr Brenda Warrington and Director of Operations and Neighbourhoods Ian Saxon visited the former Oldham Batteries site to check on progress.
Cllr Warrington said: "I'm delighted to see Tameside Wellness Centre taking shape and the progress that's been made in delivering this innovative facility for residents. It will feature something for everyone: from top-class sports and leisure facilities to a children's soft play area and a social interaction zone with dementia friendly designs.
"We're encouraging our residents to keep as active, healthy and social as possible and Tameside Wellness Centre has a host of accessible facilities that will support this and help bring people together. I can't wait for it to open."
Developer Network Space is delivering the £15 million scheme on behalf of Tameside Council on brownfield land next to the new Denton link road, Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze Way, in the heart of Denton. Sport England has backed the project by providing a £1.5 million grant.
Stephen Barnes, managing director of Network Space Developments, said: "The development is really taking shape now. Everyone connected with the project is hugely excited about the opportunity that this facility will offer both the local community and visitors from outside the borough."
As well as the eight-lane, 25-metre swimming pool with room for 150 spectators, it includes a learner pool, a spa area including sauna and steam facilities and fitness suite. It also boasts a host of wellness features that will benefit the whole community, including meeting rooms, free wi-fi, a children's soft play area and multi-use studio spaces. Instead of a foyer there will be a social interaction zone – a cultural area that could host everything from a history talk to a string quartet to children's Time for a Rhyme sessions, or just used to relax and read the books available.
The roof space will be transformed into a sensory garden and could also be used for a pop-up cinema, small theatre or open air exercise space.
The architecturally striking centre has been designed by Pozzoni Architecture to be accessible by all, with disabled access to the swimming pool and dementia friendly design used throughout the development.
Willmott Dixon is carrying out the construction and the centre will be managed by Active Tameside
