Middlesbrough Council’s Planning Committee unanimously agreed to support our planning application, submitted on behalf of our client Cool Runnings (NE) Ltd, for a new Snow and Leisure Centre at Middlehaven. Councillors commented “this is the most exciting project to happen in Middlesbrough ever”.
The scheme, submitted in outline form, seeks to establish the principle of a large leisure scheme alongside Middlehaven docks, on a 3 hectare site next door to Middlesbrough College. The £30 million scheme will provide around 300 jobs once it’s completed and will be only the 7th such scheme in the whole of the UK. It is forecast that the scheme will bring in more than 2.25 million visitors to the area and will clearly be a major boost to the economy of the whole Tees Valley with spin off benefits to a wide range of businesses, ranging from hotels and restaurants through to travel businesses and shops in Middlesbrough Town Centre.
The building will be around 20,000sqm in size, over 6 floors with the ski slope running from east to west. A range of complimentary shops and services will be provided in the building.
The detailed design of the building will now be the subject of further work but the concept design provided by the team at Summerhouse Architects has won praise and support from many, including English Heritage, guardians of the nearby listed clock tower and iconic Transporter Bridge.
The scheme has involved collaborative working with a range of bodies and landowners and it’s been a complicated project. The scheme builds upon and indeed requires the new highway and bridge into Middlehaven that Middlesbrough Council recently secured permission and funding for. Construction on that link is expected to start in May of this year and take 12 months. Construction of the snow centre may take a little longer!
Prism were delighted to be selected to guide the scheme through the planning system and we look forward to our first slide!
Snow and Leisure Centre – Middlesbrough
