Welcome
Introducing our plans for a new state-of-the-art Sports
and Wellness Centre
What is the purpose of the exhibition?
Find out more about our plans
This exhibition provides you with
information about plans for a new
state-of-the-art Sports and Wellness
Centre that the University is planning
on Campus.
The exhibition provides you with more
detail about the plans. The project team
are here today to discuss the plans with
you and answer any questions.
We have been working on the proposals
over the past few months with the
architect, planning and technical team
as well as with student representatives.
We are now in a position to share our
plans and seek comments on the
proposals.
As part of the planning process for
the scheme we are asking local people,
students and staff for their views on
the proposals during a period of public
consultation.
“The most physically active
campus community in the
UK. A place where everyone
is active every day, and
where communities are built
through participation in sport
and physical activity.”
Warwick Sport: 2020
Your input is valued and we thank you
for your time.
Sketch image of the entrance to the proposed Sports and Wellness Centre
The Vision
“By 2020 the University aims to have the most active
campus community in the UK, encouraging everyone
to be active every day.”
Investing in a successful Campus
The University of Warwick’s campus has
previously been voted the best in the UK.
It’s a lively, cosmopolitan place with its
own shops, banks, bars and restaurants an exciting place to live and work with
everything you could need close at hand.
As well as the obvious student focus, the
Campus is a great resource for the local
community with facilities like the
Warwick Arts Centre and the University
Sports Centre.
• The Sports Hub will be a state-of-the-art
Sports and Wellness Centre, that will
provide a mix of indoor and outdoor
sport facilities. It will be located to the
south west of the main campus, just
west of Scarman Road.
• The Spokes will provide new and
improved training and leisure facilities
across the campus, many of which will
be free to use e.g trim trail.
Hub and Spokes approach
We’re investing in new and improved
Sport and Wellness facilities across the
Campus, to replace those that are
outdated. Our investment follows a ‘Hub
and Spokes’ concept. We are proposing to
build a new Sports and Wellness Centre
(the Hub) at the same time as improving
health and leisure facilities across campus
(the Spokes).
The proposed Sports and Wellness Centre will provide a
new focus for the Campus
Embedding sport into
Campus life
The adjacent diagram
illustrates the Hub and
Spokes concept of separate
but connected sports
facilities across the
University.
The Sports Hub will lie on
the central axis of the
Campus. The Spokes will
provide opportunities for
exercise and recreation
that are relevant to the
whole campus and
appropriate to their
location.
Together they will provide
top quality sport facilities
that are accessible and
visible.
Hub and Spokes concept
Sport at Warwick
We are rightly proud of our sporting
reputation at Warwick. There are more
than 65 University Sports Clubs run
by student committees, providing a
healthy and active student community.
Many more people exercise and train
independently.
The new Sports and Wellness facilities
will be a major part of the world-class
Campus that Warwick offers. We want to
get the balance of facilities right for
everyone on Campus and we would like
your feedback on our latest plans.
A new facility for students, staff and the local community
Our objective is to ensure that the wider Warwick community has convenient
access to the sports facilities. Following the planning stage, we will work closely
with the Students’ Union and University staff to ensure there is sufficient time
for staff, students and clubs to exercise and train at the new Centre.
Accessing the Centre
The University’s existing Sports Centre works on a membership system and we propose
the same at the new Sports and Wellness Centre. We feel this is the right approach in
order to provide a well-used and vibrant facility that will be for students, staff and the
general public.
What about our existing facilities?
The University’s current sports facilities will remain open until the new Sports Centre
is built.
The new Centre will include a 25m, 10 lane swimming pool
Development context
University Campus Masterplan (2007)
A key strategy for the future of the
University Campus is the University
Masterplan.
The Masterplan received outline planning
permission in 2009 to guide the future
development of the Campus over the
period 2008-2018. The plan permits an
extensive amount of development on the
campus. This includes large-scale
development of up to four stories in
height, to create a new centre of activity,
at the location of the Sports and Wellness
Centre.
The uses envisaged within the Masterplan
for this area are residences and academic.
Having looked again at the plan, we
believe the site will be put to better use
as the location for the new Sports and
Wellness Centre.
Why is a new planning application
needed?
Whilst the proposed development is
located within an area approved for
development by the Masterplan, the
amount of floorspace will be in excess of
its parameters. A new planning
application is therefore required before
the development can proceed.
Sketch of the proposed Sports and Wellness facility
The parameters of the University’s Development Plan
Green Belt
The proposed site is located within the
Coventry Green Belt.
Major development at the site and within
the Green Belt has already been accepted
in principle through the outline planning
permission for the University Masterplan.
Despite this, the submission of a new full
application in the Green Belt requires the
need for ‘Very Special Circumstances’ to be
presented once more.
We believe that Very Special
Circumstances exist for the proposed
Centre. This is due to the University’s need
for new modern sports facilities along with
the socio-economic benefits that the new
centre will bring locally and to the
wider region.
The Sports Hub site
Central campus
Lakeside Residences
Proposed location
All-weather
pitches and courts
Pavilion
Hall
Parking
Greenbelt land
(not used)
Public Realm
Indicative future
development
(2007 master plan)
Site location plan (above) and 3d site
context plan (below)
Proposed Masterplan - Sports Hub
Site Context
The proposed site falls within the Cryfield campus area approximately five minutes’
walk to the Students’ Union and other centrally located facilities.
The site already has outline planning permission for major development in the form of
student residences and academic buildings up to four storeys in height. Until the site is
developed, it is currently used as arable land.
Directly to the north of the site lies the Heronbank and Lakeside residences; to the east,
are a number of outdoor playing fields for rugby, football and cricket. The wooded
Whitefield Coppice extends south and west from the site boundary, and the Cryfield
Energy Centre occupies the north-west corner of the site.
The site provides a sustainable location for development. It benefits from no historic or
environmental designations and is at a limited risk of flooding.
A natural extension to the
Cryfield Campus
The proposed site forms a natural extension
to the existing Cryfield Campus. It is easily
accessible across the campus and provides
the opportunity to integrate the new
facility into a campus environment that
supports health and wellbeing.
The new facilities will be available for
students, University sports clubs, staff
and the local community to use.
The constraints acting on the site
The design ethos
“The new building will
be visually different and
distinctively Warwick”
Design concepts
Upper Level (1)
A lot of thought has been given to the
proposed design. The external form of
the building expresses three primary
elements - pavilion, hall and atrium - and
has been designed to fit sensitively with
the landscape.
Atrium
Pavilion
Halls
An important design ethos for the
building was to showcase all of the
activities taking place. Through glass
design features, and an open interior,
users will be able to walk through and see
activities, games and training in progress.
Entrance Level (0
Lower Level (B1)
We are delivering a top of the range new
facility that will be visually unique and
distinctively Warwick.
Ser
Accessible for all
Basement Level
The Sports and Wellness Centre has
been designed to be accessible for all
and will accord with the latest
accessibility regulations.
4 —— David Morley Architects Stage 2 Volume 2 Sports Hub – February 2016
The Sports and Wellness Centre will include a 300
station fitness gym
The climbing walls wills be a key feature of the interior
of the building
Care has been taken to ensure the design fits with the Warwick landscape
The latest plans
Design detail
The core facilities are made up of three
main elements - the sports hub building,
external sports accommodation and
ancillary support facilities.
The arrangement allows public access at
level 0 and a services access at a lower
level thereby separating their respective
movement flows.
Detailed plans of the Sports Hub are
illustrated below.
Then facilities we are proposing are as follows:
Entrance Level (0)
Lower Level (B1)
• Reception
• Café
• Multi-sports hall, equivalent to 16
badminton courts
• 25m, 10 lane swimming pool and wet
change
• Combat hall and multi-function room
• Changing facilities
• 6 squash courts with spectator viewing
• Seminar
• Spectator viewing to Multi-sports hall
• Kitchen
• Plant
Upper Level (1)
• 300 station Fitness gym
Basement Level (B2)
• 90 strength and conditioning stations
• Climbing and bouldering facilities
• Studios
• Changing facilities
External Sports
• Offices
• 5 No x 4G sports pitches
• Sports medicine
• 3 No x Netball courts*
• 1 No x Meeting Point space
• 1 No x Holistic Activities area
Internal Plaza to Sports Hall
Basement floor plan
Sports Hall to Swimming Pool
Facilities plan
Upper Level (1)
Atrium
Pavilion
Halls
Entrance Level (0)
Main Entrance
Ground floor plan
Lower Level (B1)
Services Entrance
Basement Level (B2)
First floor plan
4 —— David Morley Architects Stage 2 Volume 2 Sports Hub – February 2016
Community benefits
“It is our mission that we continue to improve
facilities to inspire and motivate students, staff and
the wide community to engage in an active and
healthy lifestyle.”
The University and Warwick Sport already have
a great relationship with the local community.
Through Warwick Volunteers we run a wide
variety of projects which benefit the community
around the University in Coventry, Leamington,
Kenilworth and Warwick.
Projects include working with children in
schools and after-school clubs as well with
young adults, people with disabilities, and
community groups. Many of the activities
involve participation in sport, such as
coaching and training local schools and
community groups.
The plans for a new state-of-the-art sports
centre will provide the local community with
access to world class sporting facilities on
their doorstep. The key focus will be the
provision of more space, more available hours
and more staff in order to drive participation.
The brief is to provide for a broad range of
sporting activities which are available to
the on campus student community, staff
and off-campus community.
For the local community and local economy, the
plans will also generate a number of wider
benefits. These include:
Major investment in the local and West
Midlands economy
Enhanced opportunities for local
employment through the construction
of the new Sports and Wellness Centre
Increase in staffing to administer and
run new sports facilities on campus
Indirect positive effects in the local
economy associated with purchases and
spending on operation of the new
Sports and Wellness Centre
Enhanced capacity for participation in
sports, with associated health, fitness
and well-being effects for people
participating in sporting activities.
Feedback and next steps
Ways to feedback
We’d be grateful if you could submit your feedback to us by completing a feedback
form at the event today.
Please post your completed feedback form in the box provided.
Alternatively, we’ve set up a number of ways to comment:
University of Warwick Sports Hub,
c/o Turley, 9 Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2BJ
uowsportshub@turley.co.uk
020 7851 5738
For more information visit warwick.ac.uk/campustimeline
Next steps
We are currently in the process of collating feedback on our plans. Once all feedback
has been received we will consider all the responses provided and prepare our final
planning application. This will be submitted to Warwick Council in late Spring 2016.
There will be a further opportunity to submit feedback through the formal consultation
period once the application has been submitted.
Please ensure your comments reach us by the 4th
Thank you
April, 2016