Morgan Sindall Construction and Southampton City Council have officially broken ground on the £36 million transformation of the city's historic Outdoor Sports Centre, marking a major milestone in one of the region's most ambitious regeneration projects.

A ceremonial event to celebrate the start of construction took place on Friday 27 June at the centre’s tennis courts, attended by Southampton MP Satvir Kaur, Councillor Toqeer Kataria (Cabinet Member for Communities and Leisure), Councillor Simon Letts (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services), and senior representatives from Morgan Sindall Construction.

The ceremony featured speeches from councillors and Morgan Sindall's Cliff Kinch, followed by a guided tour of the site to showcase the scale and ambition of the redevelopment. Representatives from local sports organisations, including Southbrook Youth FC and Southampton Athletics Club, were also present, underlining the community's strong backing for the project.

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The regeneration, funded by the Levelling Up Fund, Southampton City Council, and the Football Foundation, will overhaul the 1938-built sports centre to create state-of-the-art facilities, while preserving its legacy as a vital community space.

Construction work is already underway, with teams and equipment on site. The full redevelopment is expected to be completed by early 2027, with the centre remaining open to users as much as possible throughout the project.

Planned facilities include:

A two-storey Community Hub with covered netball and tennis courts, gym and fitness suite, café with a terrace, and flexible community rooms

A Family Zone featuring a new skate park, cycling pump track, and modern play equipment in the former Boating Lake area

Upgraded athletics facilities including a new pavilion and grandstand

An improved Alpine Snowsports Centre with a learner slope and new ski lodge

Three new artificial grass football pitches

A 275-space woodland car park with electric vehicle charging and accessible bays

Morgan Sindall highlighted the scheme's positive economic and social impact, with local contractors and suppliers already contributing to the works. The company also reaffirmed its commitment to delivering social value through apprenticeships, local employment, and ongoing community engagement initiatives.