National contractor Wates Construction has completed works at Braywick Leisure Centre, a major leisure and community hub for Windsor and Maidenhead Council, marking the first project delivered for Wates via the Major Works – UK framework, part of the Scape National Construction framework.
The £33m facility at Braywick Park was built to replace the Council’s aging Magnet Leisure Centre, and features a 10-lane swimming pool, larger training and splash pools, a 200-station gym, four squash courts, sports hall, café, all-weather football pitch and 240 car parking spaces.
Improved sustainability was vital for the Council, and as well as being delivered as a carbon neutral project, the centre has been designed to use 70 per cent less energy than its predecessor.
Wates worked closely with architect Burke Richards and engineering consultants Hoare Lee to meet this target, with rainwater collected, stored and redirected to flush waste systems, LED lighting used throughout, and extra insulation deployed to reduce heating requirements. A collaborative culture was established from the very beginning between all partners, particularly with regard to the complex building services needed for plumbing and heating a large leisure build.
Community engagement was sought at every opportunity and, as well as investing £13k into supporting social enterprises, tree planting and gardening events, several initiatives to educate and inspire were delivered.
The project team arranged several site visits, networking events and assemblies for local schools as well as 13 work experience placements for students. Through Wates’ Building Futures programme, 17 jobseekers passed their CSCS test, with one employed as a Gateman since November 2018.
Work initially started on the project in July 2018 and was officially handed over as scheduled in September, despite challenges posed by Covid-19.
Alec Jackman, business unit director for the Southern Home Counties at Wates Construction, said:
“Regenerating leisure hubs like this is essential to supporting healthy, sustainable communities, and every part of the Braywick Park site has been designed with the people who’ll be using it in mind. We hope it will become a real cornerstone of community in Maidenhead, leaving a lasting legacy for years to come.
“We are currently working on several Scape projects across the country, and we hope this project will be held up as an example of how supportive this procurement framework can be. By working in close partnership with the council, our delivery partners, a local supply chain and the wider community, we could overcome any obstacles easily, and I’d like to thank everyone who worked on this landmark project and made it such a success.”
Mark Robinson, Scape Group chief executive, said:
“The last six months have created challenges that would’ve made it easy for a project as ambitious as this to lose sight of its sustainability goals. However, it is to the immense credit of Wates and the council that they have gone above and beyond to ensure that this investment will maximise its impact across the local community in terms of physical, social and environmental health.
“Sustainability is becoming more important than ever for projects delivered by local authorities, and it’s our intention that our frameworks will continue to accelerate their delivery while becoming carbon-neutral as standard by 2028.”
Councillor Sayonara Luxton, Mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, said:
“I am looking forward to accepting the keys to the building and seeing the transformation of the site. I am sure many residents will be looking forward to using this fantastic facility in the future and the many wonderful community spaces within the building.”
Braywick is the latest completion for Wates in the leisure sector, with other major projects currently being built including Sandwell Aquatics Centre and Halton Leisure Centre in Widnes, both also procured via Major Works – UK, part of the Scape National Construction framework.
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Alan White
How did you get into construction? My Journalism degree got me my first job at Wates in 2010, when I joined the North West’s work-winning team. I soon moved into a business development role, moving around the business to gain experience in Construction, Smartspace and now the Scape team.
What do you enjoy most about your current role? I love speaking to customers. This gives me the chance to learn how the public sector is developing and regenerating our towns and cities, and it’s hugely rewarding to offer solutions to help them achieve this. Meeting new people and developing existing relationships is the best part of my job.
What are you most proud of? Professionally, identifying customer problems and collectively solving them is very fulfilling, for example reducing the proposed cost of a new leisure centre by 25% in six weeks. Personally, I’m not ashamed to say that I’m immensely proud of some of my achievements as a competitive runner in recent years.
Dom Somerville
How did you get into construction? I went to an Architecture fair when I was 14 and was really interested in how buildings were designed. It inspired me to want to become an Architect!
What do you enjoy most about your current role? The variety of work we do across multiple construction sectors from schools, to offices, to leisure centres, to working with the MoD – no 2 weeks are ever the same.
What are you most proud of? Schemes where clients have come to Wates with a specific requirement and need and where we have put together teams to respond and deliver often beyond what that customer ever expected.
Alistair McCallum
How did you get into construction? Simply I answered an advert from a PQS company in Solihull. I wanted a varied career that was neither a desk job nor working outside all the time. I also wanted a career that saw me working with a variety of people. I also like ‘building things’ and seeing something that I’ve had a part in creating.
What do you enjoy most about your current role? I most enjoy the diversity in my role, how every day is different. I can be in an interview one day selling the benefits of Wates and Scape to a customer, to chatting with existing customers to find solutions to complex problems to organising and presenting at careers events in schools and colleges. Also, being part of a team that strives to be a force for good and a catalyst for positive change. Moving forward within a team in the pursuit of excellence is incredibly rewarding, where new, fresh ideas are encouraged and embraced and can make it to strategy or policy within the business.
What are you most proud of? I’m lucky enough to be part of the team that won a place on a Scape regional framework, not once but twice. And in doing so being the enabler to expand the Wates business into the East Midlands. I’m also incredibly proud of being one of the team members who won the interview securing the Aquatics Centre for the commonwealth games. Finally, the work we do in supporting reshaping tomorrow including raising the profile of Social Enterprises to customers, careers events with pupils and tree planting in Markfield as part of planting 15,000 trees by 2021.
Helen Drennan
How did you get into construction? By default! I met a Director from a construction business whilst studying for my CIM Diploma and he convinced me to apply for a vacancy at the company he was working for. That was almost 25 years ago, and I’ve been working in the industry ever since.
What do you enjoy most about your current role? The diversity – every day is different. I also love being customer facing and continually meeting new people.
What are you most proud of? My family. My kids are both pursuing their own career goals now. I hope I’ve managed to inspire them to aim high and give it their all.
Alex Jefferson
How did you get into construction? I wanted a job with variety after finishing school and felt that a career in construction could offer me that. After completing a degree in Civil Engineering, I started on sites in London as a Site Engineer. I have since moved through Project Management, Bid and Pre-construction roles and have certainly found the variety that I was after.
What do you enjoy most about your current role? I enjoy meeting new Clients, being able to offer solutions to their challenges and ultimately seeing a construction project through its whole cycle from inception to completion and occupation by its users.
What are you most proud of? I really enjoy being able to pass by buildings that I was involved with from years ago, see how they have integrated into their surroundings and how they are used now by their users. Some of the buildings are getting older, but I am pleased that I am not quite old enough to have had one of my projects demolished yet!