Dudley's first new leisure centre in a generation opens
The first new leisure centre to be built in Dudley in more than 30 years has opened to the public this month.
Developed in partnership with Alliance Leisure Services (ALS), and delivered by ISG, the £18m Duncan Edwards Leisure Centre forms part of the near £1bn Dudley regeneration programme, which is set to transform the town centre over the next decade.
The new venue on Constitution Hill, is approximately one mile from the former Dudley Leisure Centre, which closed for business this month.
Named in honour of the borough’s most famous sporting son, former England and Manchester United player, Duncan Edwards, who was born and raised in the town, the new centre offers a 25 metre, eight-lane swimming pool and a teaching pool with spectator provision. A four-court sports hall is suitable for indoor football, badminton and more, while other facilities include a 100-station gym and fitness suite, two group exercise studios and the first immersive cycle studio in the area.
A wellness suite featuring power-assisted equipment from Shapemaster provides specialist support for those recovering from injury, older customers and those living with long-term health conditions.
For families with younger children, there is a soft play area with dedicated catering as well as a party room, in addition to a café for all users of the centre.
“I would like to thank everyone who has played a part in creating this new facility. It’s something for us all to be proud of and shows the regeneration of Dudley is moving in the right direction. It’s now over to the public to try the centre out for themselves and see why we’re so excited to finally open its doors.”
Councilor Simon Phipps
Julia Goddard, Senior Business Development Manager at Alliance Leisure, said: “We are delighted to see this brand new facility come to life with an inclusive mix of facilities and services that meet local strategic outcomes and the needs of the community. Along with our work at Halesowen and Crystal leisure centres, these new and regenerated centres will dramatically improve the quality of sport and physical activity provision in Dudley to help encourage more people to adopt healthy lifestyles.”
“Transforming community leisure provision is an absolute passion for ISG as we recognise the pivotal role that these facilities play in enhancing positive outcomes for individuals and broader society. Our partnership with Alliance Leisure continues to grow in strength, creating public facilities that rival those in the private sector and securing a positive legacy for communities across the West Midlands and beyond.”
Daniel Leigh, Senior Project Manager for frameworks at ISG
ISG has now completed over 25 projects with ALS and many of these schemes have been delivered using the UK Leisure Framework (UKLF).
The UKLF is a development partner framework, owned by Denbighshire Council and managed by Denbighshire Leisure, which allows Local Authorities to engage with ALS to develop their facilities from refurbishments to new builds.
