Groundbreaking for new leisure centre
WORK on a £6m new leisure centre that is part of a huge regeneration project is about to begin.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place at Brinnington Park this week and builders are expected to be on site within the next one to two weeks.
The council has also officially appointed a contractor - Willmott Dixon to build the sports centre, which will replace the outdated one on Lapwing Lane.
It is expected to open early next year with facilities for sports including badminton, five-a-side football, basketball, netball, volleyball and hockey.
The centre is seen as a vital part of the Brinnington Masterplan and it is hoped it will play a role in improving health in the area.
Councillor Sheila Bailey, executive member for housing and communities, said: “This will create greater opportunities for participation in sport through quality facilities, accessible to everyone.
“The investment required to build these developments demonstrates our confidence in and commitment to the future of Brinnington.”
Life Leisure will manage the centre, which will also provide a dance studio, fitness suite and a home for Brinnington Boxing Club. The development will include a community room and a new bowling green next to Brinnington Health Centre.
Malcolm McPhail, from Life Leisure, said: “We are thrilled to be working on such an exciting development in Brinnington.
“We are extremely passionate about increasing participation in physical activity.”
The council’s Brinnington Masterplan also contains proposals for 280 new houses and construction is also underway on some of these.
Among them are 70 at Blackberry Lane that caused controversy and threatened to derail the masterplan. They are inside Reddish Vale Country Park and campaigners said this would set a dangerous precedent.
But plans were approved despite 1,400 letters about the proposals - with only one being in support.
A scheme has been set up with Stockport Credit Union and developers Countryside to help residents save for a house deposit.
Coun Bailey said: “The savings scheme will provide real financial support to assist local residents and their families to purchase one of the new homes.”