Comtechsa: Projects: 2005-2006: New Belve Youth & Community Sports & Recreation Centre

Projects: 2005-2006

New Belve Youth & Community Sports & Recreation Centre

89/91 Miles Street, Liverpool, L8 4PX

Service:
Full Technical (Building)

Project:
General refurbishment, alterations and adaptations to existing premises to improve accessibility for disabled users.

General Information:
The New Belve Youth & Community Sports & Recreation Centre is a newly formed community group, whose aim is to provide specific leisure facilities to the local residents of Toxteth and surrounding areas of Merseyside.
The group have agreed a 25-yearlease agreement with the present owners, Merseyside Youth Association, for a peppercorn rent.
A member of the NBY&CS&RC is the Golden Gloves A.B.C, who already occupy part of the building. Their involvement is seen as an essential element of the project as part of the funding criteria is the formation of a Boxing Academy with Liverpool College.

Clients Needs:
The external shell of the building is in reasonable condition with a newly tiled roof, however, the vast majority of services i.e. electrical installation and heating system has come to the end of its serviceable life.
One of the main problems within the building is its internal layout. The ground and lower ground floors have numerous split levels, and there are no ramps or lift up to the upper floors.
The new Disability Discrimination Act has had a big impact on this particular project, and the majority of the works proposed are to make the facilities more accessible for wheelchairs and other users with special needs.

Funding:
The main funder is "Sport England" providing a capital grant of £744,000 together with a revenue grant of £70,000. The balance of monies, some £85,000, has been donated by Liverpool City Council, together with a revenue grant of £30,000.

Completion:
Construction work has begun and is expected to be completed by January 2006. The contract sum is £573,000 with the total project cost estimated to be in the region £800,000.