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Daily Newsletter

09 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

Kier wins contract to renovate Altrincham Leisure Centre

The development is in line with the council's overarching Trafford Moving strategy.

Construction company Kier has secured a £20m contract for the revamp of Altrincham Leisure Centre from Trafford Council, UK.

Procured through the Northwest Construction Hub Framework, the project will involve an overhaul of the current facility along with an added extension to provide extra amenities.

The extension at the leisure centre will include the construction of a 25m swimming pool, a 20m leisure pool, Poolpods to aid those with disabilities, and a health and wellness spa.

Other amenities to be added include a wellness assessment room, a new fitness space, two group exercise studio spaces, an indoor cycle studio, a four-court sports hall and storage area, a gymnastics hub, as well as staff rooms and offices.

The new lobby will include a pool-viewing area, a café, and access to an inclusive changing space.

As part of the development, roof-mounted photovoltaic solar panels and two large air-source heat pumps will also be installed.

Together, these clean energy sources are expected to annually save 444 tons of carbon dioxide emissions; meaning the existing gas supply at the centre could potentially be eliminated.

Work on the project has begun and is expected to conclude in mid-2024.

The new facilities have been developed with support from Sport England. The investment supports the council’s strategy ‘Trafford Moving’, which aims to get more people to improve their health and well-being via exercise.

Trafford Council's councillor for Culture and Leisure Cath Hynes said: “The health and wellbeing of residents in our communities is extremely important to us and I am delighted that we are completely transforming Altrincham Leisure Centre into an amazing 21st-century facility for everyone to enjoy.

“This is not just a lick of paint - we will be totally transforming this centre - like we did at move Urmston and the results will be just as impressive. We are investing millions of pounds into this project as we believe that is the right thing to do to ensure that residents are given top-class facilities to help them improve their health, fitness and well-being.”

Kier Construction North and Scotland managing director Sean Fenner said: “Not only will the building deliver first-class wellness and fitness facilities, but it will also provide significant sustainability benefits that will positively impact local residents for years to come.”

ESG 2.0 marks a shift towards stricter environmental rules

ESG is moving into a different era, which we call ESG 2.0. While ESG 1.0 was driven by voluntary corporate action, spurred by pressure from activist consumers and investors, ESG 2.0 is being driven by a new wave of government policies. The EU has taken the regulatory lead, with rules introduced or in the pipeline that will price emissions, regulate the use of the terms ‘ESG’ and ‘sustainability’ in marketing materials, and make ESG reporting mandatory. The US has taken a different approach, favoring less regulation and more financial support in the form of tax breaks for clean industry (renewables plus nuclear and hydrogen). China is planning to expand its emissions trading system to more sectors, decarbonize its heavy industry, and ramp up its use of renewables. The new policy direction is mainly motivated by the ambition to hit net zero emissions targets. But on top of this, governments are now competing for clean industry and trying to challenge China’s leadership on the production of the world’s green technologies such as solar panels and batteries, as well as the production and refinement of materials needed for energy transition such as lithium. These driving forces are leading to policy that will impact every sector, not just heavy industry, and will keep ESG near the top of the regulatory agenda over the longer term.