The £33m facility at Braywick Park was built to replace the council’s Magnet Leisure Centre, and features a 10-lane swimming pool, larger training and splash pools, a 200-station gym, four squash courts, sports hall, café, all-weather football pitch and 240 car parking spaces.

As well as being delivered as a carbon neutral project, the centre has been designed to use 70 per cent less energy than its predecessor.

Wates worked with partners to meet this target, with rainwater collected, stored and redirected to flush waste systems, LED lighting used throughout, and extra insulation deployed to reduce heating requirements. A collaborative culture was established from the very beginning between all partners, particularly with regard to the complex building services needed for plumbing and heating a large leisure build.

Work initially started on the project in July 2018 and was officially handed over as scheduled in September, despite challenges posed by Covid-19.