Leisure facilities on the rise as Brexit approaches

Some readers might recall reports stating that the hotel construction subsector is set to flourish in the wake of Brexit, and also as a result of the recent political strife, with a weakened pound making Britain a cheaper holiday destination for both foreign and domestic holiday makers. But, with a peak in hotel construction comes a corresponding peak in the construction of leisure facilities.

According to recent construction market data from Glenigan, the construction of leisure facilities such as gyms, cinemas, swimming pools, bowls centres, and dance studios are set to significantly increase in the new decade on account of a rising demand that comes with an increase in hotel construction.

Specifically, these figures state that the construction of indoor leisure facilities and cinemas increased by a proportion of 62 per cent in the three months up to December 2019, when compared against the same three month period in 2018, with projects starts at a combined value of £200M starting onsite in the final quarter of last year.

Ultimately, this surge in leisure construction could prove beneficial to local communities as recent figures from Sports England revealed that 63 per cent of swimming pools and leisure centres in England are more than ten years old, making them outdated and unappealing to local people.

Therefore, a spike in leisure centre construction combined with trends of young people going out to mixed-activity bars, including the likes of bars in urban areas which possess ping pong halls and bowling alleys, could substantially boost the popularity of exercise and improve public wellbeing as a welcome side-effect.

Some notable projects of this type include the £29.1M redevelopment of the Royal Parade Leisure Centre in Eastbourne, which is being undertaken by BAM Construction in Summer, with the project set to last for a total duration of 16 months.

Another such scheme includes the delivery of a £26M redevelopment at the Sands Leisure Centre in Carlisle, Cumbria, where work is set to commence this Spring and continue for 21 months. And finally, a £20.7M project to construct the Camberley Leisure Centre in Surrey has also recently been approved.

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