Wates Construction has started building work to extend the Jubilee Sports Centre at the University of Southampton.

A ground-breaking ceremony for the centre officially began the University's £40 million investment in sports and wellbeing facilities.

The development is part of a programme of rejuvenation and refurbishment totalling £600 million, across the University's campuses, which will create the best education and studying facilities for students, enable world-class research to take place, and foster collaboration with businesses.

Professor Mark Smith, Vice Chancellor of the University was joined at the event by Dr Alan Whitehead MP, Casie Osborne, VP of Sports for the Students' Union, Sir James Wates, Chairman of Wates Group, and Richard Shroll, managing director of Wates Construction South.

-- Advertisement --

The Jubilee Sports Centre, on the University's Highfield Campus, was named for the Diamond Jubilee of her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and is widely used by staff, students and the surrounding community including local schools who use the swimming pool.

The extension to the centre will include a modernised gym with 200 exercise stations, five new sports studios including dedicated martial arts and indoor cycling spaces, and a bouldering/climbing wall.

There will also be a reception area with toilets and cafe, as well as parking for e-scooters and bikes.

The building has been designed to be inclusive to all potential users, to connect to the outdoors, increase natural light, and to help meet the University's low carbon target. It will be built by Wates and is due to open in summer 2024.

Professor Mark Smith said: "Sport, fitness and wellbeing are incredibly important to our students, staff and our local community. Today’s ceremony marks the start of an exciting chapter of our new sports building, and indeed, our long-term plans to improve other parts of our campuses.

"Over the next five years we will be making significant investments in our buildings and infrastructure to ensure we are providing research and teaching facilities that enable our staff and students to continue to excel.

"This significant investment is for the benefit of both the University and the city of Southampton. I would like to thank all those involved in months of planning of the Jubilee Sports Centre, and I am looking forward to watching the development take shape over the coming months."