PRESS RELEASE

Strategic Leisure to oversee St Albans Facility Procurement process

Strategic Leisure will be working on the delivery of two new leisure facilities in St Albans, at Westminster Lodge and Cotlandswick (London Colney), as a key member of a multi-disciplinary team, led by Drivers Jonas.

The Westminster Lodge redevelopment, which is located in the middle of the City, overlooked by St Albans Abbey, is anticipated to include a 25m 8-lane swimming pool; learner pool with moveable floor; health suite/spa; café; crèche; dedicated youth provision and a large fitness suite.

The new London Colney leisure facility will be delivered in partnership with the private sector. The council will provide partnership funding towards the project from existing Section 106 contributions.

Strategic Leisure is a member of a leading team of leisure specialists including S&P Architects, St Albans based Van Zyl and De Villers (service engineers), Davis Langdon (cost consultants).

For the Westminster Lodge project, Strategic Leisure will be providing general leisure advice on the facility from an operational perspective, and will be leading the procurement process, including developing the tendering documentation, evaluating the responses and conduction final negotiations with the preferred bidder.

At Cotlandswick, Strategic Leisure will advise on the potential commercial leisure options and considerations as well as assist in the wider realisation of the project, part of which is being undertaken through a Design, Build, Finance and Operate contract.

St Albans District Council will be investing around £19 million into the projects, comprising of capital funding already allocated, receipts from an enabling development and prudential borrowing.

Work on both projects has started immediately, in order to achieve the council’s ambition of opening the new leisure facilities by the end of 2012. Over the coming months a series of consultation events, delivered by Strategic Leisure, will be organised to seek resident, customer and stakeholder feedback as the project and design progress.

“These are really exciting times for leisure in St Albans.” said Councillor Robert Donald, Leader of the District Council. “The new centre at Westminster Lodge in particular will be a high quality development offering a wide range of opportunities in swimming, dry sport and leisure activities in a wonderful parkland setting, overlooked by the Abbey.”

Stephen Jepson, a partner in Drivers Jonas’s specialist DJ Sport team, said: "We are delighted to have won this commission. We put a lot of time and effort into bidding for this work and are looking forward to working with the council and other key stakeholders on this exciting and challenging project."

Mark Sutcliffe, chief executive of Strategic Leisure said: “This is a landmark development for St Albans. We are very pleased to be involved with shaping the delivery of a facility and services which will be a valuable asset of which the City can be proud.”

For more information please contact:

Rachel Fowler, Managing Director, Strategic Leisure: 07711 029759

Duncan Jenner, Senior Consultant, Strategic Leisure: 07921 780377