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New Darwen leisure centre will be 'best in region' (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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New Darwen leisure centre will be 'best in region'
8:40pm Tuesday 17th November 2009
THE new £12.7million Darwen Leisure Centre will ‘blow people’s minds’ when it opens in two months, bosses claim.
Eighty workers are on site off Green Street, putting the finishing touches to a host of state-of-the-art facilities inside the three-storey com-plex which opens to the public on January 30.
Paul Gracey, team project manager said: “It’s a gem. It’s the most prestigious leisure centre of its type in the region and is unlike anything else going up in either the public or private sector. It will blow people’s minds.
“A lot of new buildings are ‘bake and shake’. They’re covered steel constructions that are meant to last 25 years and then come down, but this is nothing like that.
“This is made from quality materials that will last the distance: at least 50 years.”
Facilities have also been specially designed to be customer-friendly, and disa-bled user groups have been consulted about access iss-ues.
Materials fitted in the two swimming pool areas have been chosen to aid acoustics so that loud noises are dulled but low frequencies are carried, meaning swim-ming teachers do not have to shout.
The main swimming pool, which has eight-lanes and a moveable floor, can be used for competitions, and a video playback screen is about to be fitted.
More than £250,000 has been spent on gym equip-ment and large sauna, massage, aromatherapy areas are fitted into the changing room areas.
Mr Gracey added: “It’s important that we move away from the old image of what a council leisure centre is.
“This will facilitate more regeneration in Darwen and I think it will encourage people to move here as well as businesses.”
Colours used on the outside of the building have been specifically chosen to fit in with the town centre surroundings.
And local workers and materials have been used as much as possible in the construction, with bricks made in Rossendale and electricians from Clitheroe.
A pre-sales suite for membership enquiries opens on Monday at Darwen Lib-rary Theatre.
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Your Say YourTelegraph
CapitaBackHander, Darren says...
9:10pm Tue 17 Nov 09
CapitaBackHander, Darren says...
9:11pm Tue 17 Nov 09
bossindian, Darwen says...
9:13pm Tue 17 Nov 09
happycyclist, Darwen says...
9:23pm Tue 17 Nov 09
And 50 years is a reasonable time-span for the money. With proper maintenance, it will probably last much longer than that.
Ian the Beancounter, Darwen says...
10:18pm Tue 17 Nov 09
specialbrew, Darwen says...
10:36pm Tue 17 Nov 09
Happy - nice one Al.
"Archaea", Down House says...
11:40pm Tue 17 Nov 09
CAG1, Blackburn with Darwen says...
9:47am Wed 18 Nov 09
"Archaea" wrote:I totally agree. When will the town (and Blackburn) move on?
I can’t believe that the old façade has been reused. For some strange reason the citizens of Darwen have to keep one foot in the past. A complete change always seems a bridge to far.
When Manchester rebuilt its city centre following the IRA bomb, you didn't see M&S trying to reconstruct the 60s/70s original building they had.
They should have designed the leisure centre without the worrying about keeping it looking like the previous one. Was this citizens wanting this or planning people so far removed from citizens that they think this is what people want?
Grizzly, Darwen says...
10:38am Wed 18 Nov 09
neil1967, darwen says...
12:36pm Wed 18 Nov 09
gusting)darwen will soon look a mess.
Darwen83, says...
1:36pm Wed 18 Nov 09
Incoming Fax, Darwen says...
3:13pm Wed 18 Nov 09
That glass front won't last long in Darwen..
amazed, Darwen says...
5:21pm Wed 18 Nov 09
"Archaea", Down House says...
5:59pm Wed 18 Nov 09
Come and join us in the twenty first century. It’s quite easy, simply think stainless steel and glass. It might not last long but it keeps our employment figures looking good.
amazed, Darwen says...
12:53pm Thu 19 Nov 09
"Archaea", Down House says...
4:18pm Thu 19 Nov 09
CapitaBackHander, Darren says...
2:00pm Fri 20 Nov 09
FUTURE PERFECT: Blackburn with Darwen Leisure Services staff on a tour of the new Darwen Leisure Centre
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CapitaBackHander, Darren says...
9:07pm Tue 17 Nov 09
Also got the new fad metal sheets on the side which will be rusty within a year!
Nice to see it is coming along, one day the illegal daily blocking of the highway may end and people can park or not have to stop while lorries drive the wrong way up the one way street!