A leisure centre of the future

A leisure centre of the future

12 April 2017

DOWNPATRICK’S new £16m leisure centre will open next summer as planned.

Work on the impressive three-storey building is continuing at pace with no major issues arising at the Market Street site where the ultra-modern leisure centre will feature two swimming pools and a raft of the latest fitness equipment and facilities.

The new leisure centre is being constructed on top of a former council dump and while there were fears this could prove problematical, no issues have arisen with ground conditions and council officials are delighted with the progress being made.

They are also confident that the latest public sector investment scheme in Downpatrick can act as a catalyst for new private sector interest in the town centre to help with its continuing economic revival which has seen a number of High Street retailers open new businesses.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Active and Healthy Communities Director, Michael Lipsett, has described the new leisure centre building as “impressive” and has no doubt it will be the envy of many local authorities when it opens for business.

“The dream of a state-of-the-art district leisure facility has finally come true and it is fantastic to see this impressive new building rising out of the ground,” he said.

“I have spent nearly seven years working on this particular project and am so pleased to see it taking shape. Many people were perhaps beginning to doubt if there would be a new leisure centre in Downpatrick but now they know it is very close.”

Mr Lipsett said the local authority intends to be market leaders in the field of leisure, health and fitness and is confident it will be able to give private sector providers a run for their money.

“It is safe to say there will be nothing on a parallel with this anywhere in the Down area. This development will be a leader for others to follow and we have made a number of changes as a result of asking the public for its views on what they wanted to see provided, including timing touch pads in the new pool to facilitate competitions,” he explained.

The council director said while issues in relation to securing planning permission and concerns about ground conditions at the Market Street site did delay the multi-million pound project, he is delighted these hurdles were eventually overcome.

“This is very much a district facility and people will be so pleased to see this new structure rising out of the ground. The design of the building will make an impact whether you are coming into or going out of Downpatrick and represents Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s commitment to providing people with first class leisure provision,” he continued.

“This really is a landmark building, with the focus on delivering something that is not only excellent from a structural point of view, but one which fosters civic pride. It has taken us a long time to get to this point, but there is no doubt these are exciting times.”

Mr Lipsett said the new multi-million pound facility will put Downpatrick and the wider district on the map, describing the new centre as a “beautiful building which is extremely functional.”

Debates about where the new leisure centre should be located dominated the headlines when the new leisure facility was first mooted, with the senior council official glad the decision was taken to retain it in the town centre.

“The decision to build it here was the right one for Downpatrick. This is not just an investment in an ultra-modern leisure centre, it is is about helping reinvigorate the town centre, providing further evidence that the town is modernising and moving forward with confidence.

“We believe the building fits very well with this part of Downpatrick and will very much complement the adjoining South Eastern Regional College campus which is next door,” continued Mr Lipsett. 

He added: “We hope this £16m investment will encourage more private sector interest and believe the continued reshaping of the town, alongside new leisure provision, will encourage more people to live here, providing a boost for housing developers. The hope is that all the public and private investment in the town will encourage people to make Downpatrick their home, boosting the local economy.”