Welcome to the project page for the Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre, which is being constructed by Morgan Sindall Construction’s South team on behalf of Southampton City Council.
Follow the Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre journey…
Here you can read about the project, track its progress, sign up for updates and see its positive effect on the community.
Please note: The Outdoor Sports Centre is managed by Active Nation on behalf of Southampton City Council. For general operational enquires please contact Active Nation via Outdoor Sports Centre - Active Nation
Morgan Sindall has been appointed as the Contractor under a pre-construction services agreement to design and develop the ambitious improvements to Southampton’s Outdoor Sports Centre.
Southampton City Council has granted planning permission to carry out a project that focuses on providing improved and inclusive access to sport and physical activity at the Outdoor Sports Centre
Southampton City Council is progressing with its plans to level up inclusive access to sport after winning Levelling Up Funding (LUF)
Morgan Sindall Construction was appointed in 2023 to develop and deliver the ambitious improvements to Southampton’s Outdoor Sports Centre following successful approval of Levelling Up Funding and establishment of a future vision to develop key areas in both competitive sports and leisure facilities.
This key project is due to commence in Spring 2025 with an expected completion in 2026.
The new Outdoor Sports Centre will comprise of the following new or improved zones:
1) Community Hub: The new Community Hub will provide facilities for sporting clubs and general public to use. It will include a main community hub building and covered court facilities, sitting alongside the remaining tennis and netball courts not being covered . The Community hub will include:
The new covered court facility will replace an existing outside court facility, to allow for year-round use for tennis and netball players.
The proposed community hub zone provides an outdoor terrace at ground level with additional tree planting, and a viewing balcony at first floor level.
To help with on-street parking issues surrounding the sports centre, a new landscaped woodland car will be created with 275 parking spaces with disabled and electric vehicle charging provisions.
2) Snow Sports Centre: The Snow Sports Centre will benefit from a single storey lodge building with reception, changing facilities, kit store and toilets. The current slopes will be resurfaced along with the addition of a new learner slope, including multiple viewing platforms for all slopes. All ski lifts will be refurbished, and new LED lighting will be installed.
3) Athletics: A new athletics pavilion building will be constructs incorporating a club room, registration and scoring room and toilet facilities. There will be a new 240 seat grandstand with storage facilities. These improvements will allow for Southampton Athletics Club to not only continue to attract large numbers of people of all ages to participate, but also to host events and compete on a national level.
4) AGP Football Pitches – The outdoor sports centre will benefit from a new 11 vs 11 and two new 9 vs 9 floodlit artificial grass pitches. There will also be a retention of two junior and five mini-soccer grass football pitches. This replacement of grass pitches with floodlit artificial grass pitches will combat the shortage of all-weather pitches in the city, allowing increased year-round usage. The football improvements will supply additional capacity to allow for increased use by juniors, women and girls and will provide a legacy from the UEFA Women’s EURO’s held in July 2022.
5) Family Zone - A new family zone area will be constructed, dedicated to play activities such as skate, scooter, biking, and children’s play.
6) Natural Pitch Improvement – Two Junior and five grass football pitches will be retained with improved surfacing. The remaining four cricket pitches will benefit from upgraded wickets and improved surfacing along with artificial wickets to both adult cricket pitches.
Alongside all of the development and improvements to the sporting facilities, the outdoor sports centre will benefit from positive environmental improvements such as PV’s located on the roof of the community hub for sustainable energy usage, green roof construction on all of the newly constructed building - improving the energy reduction of these buildings, and the vast improvements to existing grassland.
As part of the overall project, Southampton City Council will be providing investment into local highways improvements such as improved parking, cycling, pedestrian and bus routes. Further information on these works can be found on the council's website.
In order for these improvements to take place to create a better sports centre, there will be some disruption to usual activity within the venue, with some facilities being closed during construction.
Information regarding those facilities remaining open and those to which are affected by the ongoing improvement works can be located on this website under the Project Progress section. Please sign up or check back regularly for updates.
The construction areas have been split up into 5 key activity zones. Here you will find links to further information on each zone, when available. Look back for further information here or sign up for updates.
COMMUNITY HUB
AGP FOOTBALL PITCHES
ATHLETICS CLUBHOUSE
SNOWSPORTS CENTRE
FAMILY ZONE
Our aim at Morgan Sindall is to minimise disruption to all sporting facilities where possible, through-out the construction phase. The construction programme has been carefully developed to consider sporting seasons, and lessen the impact on each sporting activity.
Preparatory works are set to commence ahead of the main construction phase of this exciting project. We will be undertaking essential preliminary activities to facilitate the project’s progress, these consist of service diversions, tree removal and essential maintenance. We will be taking down 36 tress in line with the approved scheme and will be diverting new power infrastructure to the site. 126 new trees will be planted in the main project scheme . During this time you will see pockets of security fencing installed and activities being undertaken under the control of our Site Manager. We would like to reassure the public that it is very much business as usual at the Outdoor Sports Centre while these essential works are undertaken.
Continue to check back for further updates or alternatively, sign up for regular news updates via the button at the top of this page.
Look out for the upcoming project roadmap with dates and timings for the project.
The project is delivered by the Morgan Sindall South team based in Chandlers Ford, led by area director Cliff Kinch. Other current projects in the area include Southampton City Art Gallery reroof programme, Cosham Fire Station and Winton School. Past projects include St Mark’s School, Solent University Sports Centre and Springwell School.
The South office is part of the wider Morgan Sindall Construction business, which operates out of 21 regional offices.
Making a positive difference in the communities we work is a vital part of our responsible business plan. Our Community Investment Group supports our project teams in the delivery of local community engagement projects.
Susan Dee, is the dedicated community contact for the Outdoor Sports Centre project and will maintain communications with neighbours and the surrounding community. If you have any questions, please do get in touch with Susan via the contact form at the bottom of the page with any queries regarding the project.
As a business we are proud members of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, which has a Code of Considerate Practice designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements.
Quote (Southampton Sports Centre Project)
“We are incredibly proud to play our part in improving the health and wellbeing of people in Southampton by delivering a state-of-the-art outdoor sports centre which will breathe fresh life into the city and encourage untold numbers of people to stay fit and active.
“On the back of the success of St Mark’s School in Southampton, it’s great that we’ll be able to continue our fantastic work in the area with the same project team. We can’t wait to help the council deliver on its promise of creating such an inclusive, outstanding asset that will benefit everyone in the community now and for years to come.”
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