Building work has been completed on the development which will be the centre of the new Health and Wellbeing Hub in Pontefract Park, Wakefield.

Leader of Wakefield Council, Cllr Denise Jeffery, officially took handover of the Aspire@ThePark building yesterday, with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

The final touches are being made to the outside grounds and the tennis and football pitches and the Council look forward to welcoming the site's first customers as soon as lockdown restrictions allow.

The £22 million project is a firm commitment from the Council to ensure that local residents are able to exercise in a variety of ways to improve their health and wellbeing. The site has some fantastic new concepts built in, including a bouldering wall with interactive games, a splash pad for small children and a state of the art spinning room.

-- Advertisement --

These compliment a 10-lane swimming pool with assistive lifeguard technology, a 20m studio pool with moveable floor and a gym which benefits from fantastic views across the park. There really will be something for everyone and park users will also be able to take advantage of the café facility and wellbeing garden area.

​Cllr Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council, said: "I am absolutely delighted to be able to officially open Aspire@ThePark. While we're all disappointed that our residents can't yet use the facility due to lockdown restrictions, we hope to welcome our first customers as soon as the Government allow us.

"To complete the project to the highest standards, Willmott Dixon, our build partner, have had to cope with numerous site difficulties, including a flooding incident and managing a construction project through Covid restrictions. The site never closed and I'd like to thank Willmott Dixon and all their supply chain for the fantastic quality of the building they have delivered.

"It is a wonderful facility, offering great opportunities to enjoy fitness, leisure and relaxation to communities across our district. We can't wait for people to see it and start enjoying it."