The Chilterns Lifestyle Centre is now officially open and everyone at KKP is pleased to be able to offer their congratulations to Buckinghamshire Council and everyone involved with the development and delivery of the project.
This is a venue of the highest quality that offers an extensive range of facilities, options and opportunities to the local community. The variety of facilities and co-location of community activities is a reflection of the involvement of local residents, clubs and groups at the earliest stages of the scheme, itself a reflection of the extensive consultation undertaken by KKP on behalf of Buckinghamshire Council.
Having previously delivered the authority’s sports facilities strategy, KKP was appointed to assess the options in respect of a new community leisure centre hub project to replace the Chiltern Pools facility, which had been built in 1965. After undertaking a detailed feasibility evaluation, including outline costs and plans for a high-quality venue that would enhance usage and programme breadth, KKP then led a full public consultation process, which brought in nearly 2,500 responses.
For David McHendry, KKP’s managing director, this consultation was a crucial element of the success of the project. “The consultation demonstrated to local residents and users that it was possible to sensitively fit the range of co-located facilities included on the preferred site, while ensuring that the integrity of adjacent open space and the needs of the many interested stakeholders were met,” he said. “The result was strong support from elected members and the community for the proposed specification.
“The Chilterns Lifestyle Centre project demonstrates the benefits of co-location and the synergy achieved by a complementary range of community-focused activities brought together under one roof. One key operational challenge was to ensure that key user groups would be able to benefit from a centralised catering offer and extensive ancillary facilities without losing their identity. This has been achieved within the new design.”
This is a remarkable new venue and a great achievement. Congratulations to everyone involved.
You can find all the details of the site via Everyone Active at: