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£13m sport & health building gets green light

Work will start soon on a new £13 million sport and health sciences building on campus.

Middlesbrough Council planners have given the scheme their unanimous backing and construction work on the new four-storey building, which will include a new dental training facility, is scheduled to start in March. The building will take about 16 months to complete and create over 150 jobs at the peak of work giving a welcome boost to the construction industry.

The new development will be linked to the University’s School of Health and Social Care Centuria Building off Wilton Street, Middlesbrough. As well as the new dentistry training school, the 4.200 sq m development will include sports therapy facilities, a series of laboratories and biomechanic and hydrotherapy facilities, plus general teaching rooms and academic offices.

Clinical facilities for the local community ‘A special feature will be that it will offer clinical facilities for the local community in both dental care and sports therapy, providing a much-needed community resource,’ said Vice-Chancellor, Professor Graham Henderson.

The North East Strategic Health Authority along with Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland Primary Care Trusts will be contributing £1.3m towards the building’s dental equipment.

The building will be designed by CPMG architects, who also designed the recently completed Phoenix and Athena Buildings on the University campus.

Professor Henderson said: ‘I am delighted that we are going ahead with our plans for the new sport and health sciences building. It will not only support our fast-growing provision in health and social care and sports therapy but also allow us, for the first time, to deliver programmes for dental therapists and dental nurses. I am looking forward to welcoming our first students in 2010 to what will be another showpiece development on our campus.’

Mr Christopher Robinson, the University's Capital Development Manager, said: ‘Additional parking will be provided on campus as part of the investment and at the peak work, there will be around 150 operatives on site and the contract will generate considerable work for a number of suppliers.’

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