Fresh delay for sports centre
THE University of Portsmouth has announced that Ravelin Sports Centre will not open until the summer, after more than five months of delays.
The opening date for the Museum Road centre was originally set at December 13 last year, but due to ‘supply chain problems that are being experienced across the construction sector at this time’, the opening date has been pushed back again.
A University of Portsmouth spokesman has said: ‘We are disappointed that the openingof the centre is still delayed.
‘The contractor is continuing to work through a number of issues in order to ensure they are all resolved to the standard we expect before we take possession of the building.
‘The situation has been compounded by supply chain problems.’
The £57m building is set to be state of the art with premium facilities including a ski simulator, a climbing wall, squash courts, training areas and an eight-lane 25m swimming pool.
The 11,000 square foot design won an‘ outstanding’ ratingfrom B re ea mU K for having one of the most sustainable and energy efficient building plans.
The building is going to have a biodiverse roof and will use renewable energy sourced from solar panels and internal heat recovery systems.
The spokesman has said: ‘This is a deeply frustrating situation.
‘So many of us have been looking forward to being able to access and use what will be a first-class facility.
‘We will not, however, compromise on quality, and we won’t open the centre until we are assured that all the issues have been addressed.
‘We now hope to welcome staff, students, and the community to our Ravelin Sports Centre in the summer.’
It had been hoped that the new leisure hub would be up and running by the summer.
However, as previously reported, delays in the work forced project bosses to push back the pool’s construction.
Speaking in December, Bernie Topham, chief operating officer and deputy vicechancellor, said it had been a ‘difficult decision to delay’ the opening of the centre
But he added: ‘We all want this new building to be the exceptional facility that we expect and of the highest quality before we finally open our doors. We look forward to welcoming everyone in 2022.’