Construction at Bransbury Park "on schedule" as foundations for £22m leisure centre are laid

Foundations are being laid at a new £22m leisure centre which is set to open next year.

Construction work at Bransbury Park, in Southsea, continues with a Portsmouth City Council newsletter “the build is on schedule” and a temporary office block has been installed to make working easier for contractors, Willmott Dixon.

Workers are currently crammed into two small storage containers, but the new block will have plumbing, electrics, meeting rooms and changing rooms, with staff expected to move in over the next few weeks.

The large-scale project will create a state-of-the-art leisure centre complete with a 25m four lane pool, a learner pool, a gym, fitness studios, a GP surgery and a relocated play area.

In a Bransbury Park newsletter, the council said a drilling rig has been positioning piles at the site, forming the foundations of the leisure centre. Sheet piles, which were installed first, are now creating a cofferdam to keep ground water out of the area while the piles are being fitted.

While work is ploughing on at the leisure centre site, the adjacent playground is taking shape, with plans to open in time for summer holidays.

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The playground contractors, Reds Builders, set up their compound in the south-west corner of the park back in February. The new area will feature a climbing frame, quiet areas, sensory elements and new planting.

In a previous update to its email bulletin subscribers, the council said the new “park is progressing well and we’re now moving into the final stages.”

The update added: “We’re aiming to open the park ahead of the summer holidays so families can enjoy it over the break. Thanks for your patience while we finish these last details.”

The leisure centre is anticipated to open next winter.