Newcastle City Council picks Willmott Dixon for £26m leisure centre scheme

Newcastle City Council has appointed Willmott Dixon to develop a £26m leisure centre backed by levelling up funds.The contractor was procured to build the new Outer West Leisure Centre in West Denton through Pagabo’s Major Works Framework.The job has received almost £20m from the government’s levelling up fund and will see the former West Denton Pool and existing All Saints Sports Centre replaced with a single facility.The new building includes a 25m, eight-lane swimming pool, a learner pool, splash pad, new library, fitness studios, a café and a gym. The building will be designed by architect Faulkner Brown.Willmott Dixon said the project will create 100 apprenticeship hours and that it will run a training programme for young people outside work and education as part of the scheme.Nick Corrigan, director for Willmott Dixon in the north, said: “This is our first project in partnership with Newcastle City Council and we are proud to be playing our part in delivering a project that will create a vibrant and innovative community hub that expands local leisure facilities.>>See more: Willmott Dixon hits firms with £47m write for cladding repairs>>See more: Willmott Dixon picked for Milton Keynes town regeneration schemeThe contract win comes after it emerged Willmott Dixon filed a suit last month against five firms in an effort to recoup more than £47m from those it claims are responsible for problems with the external wall system (EWS) on the £250m Woolwich Central mixed-use scheme.Building envelope specialist Prater Ltd and its parent company Lindner Exteriors, have been named in the writ alongside architect Sheppard Robson, AIS Surveyors and Aecom, which was employed as a fire engineer