News - Wakemans Kicks Off New £2.1m Sports Complex

Allsebrook & Hadley, a specialist division of national property and construction consultancy Wakemans, has been appointed on a new £2.1m community sports project in Milton Keynes.

The consultancy is acting as quantity surveyor on the development of Emerson Valley Community Sports Pavilion on behalf Milton Keynes Council’s Leisure Services department. 

The new sports complex is located in Bowland Drive, a designated sports ground site to the south of central Milton Keynes, which was previously earmarked for community sports. 

Designed by D5 Architects of Birmingham, Emerson Valley Community Sports Pavilion will comprise a two-storey pavilion building incorporating changing rooms, bar and catering facilities, a multi-purpose function room and ancillary accommodation.  The site will be re-modelled to create four rugby and baseball/softball pitches with associated landscaping and car parking provision. The construction of the pitches is being supervised by specialist pitches consultant, Steve Jowers Associates.

Paul Sanders, Assistant Director of Milton Keynes Council’s Leisure Learning and Culture Services comments, “It has been a long journey to get to this point, but it is exciting to see the project now beginning to develop physically. The new facility and associated playing fields will provide a focal point for the development of a number of sports providing the community of Milton Keynes and the local community of Emerson Valley opportunity to participate either competitively or socially.”

“D5’s design is very contemporary and the Emerson Valley Community Sports Pavilion will be really striking to look at,” says Wakemans Divisional Director Lionel Martin.

“Whilst the development will be the official home of Milton Keynes Rugby Club, which is one of the most progressive in the Bucks region, the facilities will also be available for use by the wider community.”

Allsebrook & Hadley was acquired by Wakemans in May 2008, having built a substantial client base in the education, arts and leisure sectors, and this is the second major community sports project for Milton Keynes Council on which it has collaborated with D5 Architects.  Eighteen months ago, the firms completed work on Medbourne Community Sports Pavilion, a similar £1.5m scheme, and were subsequently appointed for the Emerson Valley project.

Construction of the new Emerson Valley Community Sports Pavilion will start on site in the New Year with completion scheduled prior to the start of 2009/2010 rugby season.