The Brief

Braywick Leisure Centre is a flagship leisure facility which opened in Summer 2020.

Clarkson Alliance were engaged directly by the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead in March 2017 to support the delivery of their  ‘once in 40-year opportunity’.

The £36m project was to replace the existing Magnet Leisure Centre with a bigger and better integrated indoor and outdoor recreational hub, using less energy, as part of the wider regeneration of Maidenhead.

We were appointed because of our extensive leisure experience, our role was to provide Development, Project and Cost Management and lead project delivery from RIBA Stage 1 to completion.

The Delivery

Situated in parkland, on the edge of Braywick nature reserve, Braywick Leisure Centre is now a local community hub providing a diverse range of leisure, recreational and cultural facilities.

The beautifully designed complex includes a 10-lane, 25m swimming pool, large training and splash pools; a 200-station gym and health suite, dance studios, squash courts, large sports hall, dual use sports hall and cultural space and nursery. There is a cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, six outdoor courts for netball or tennis and an all-weather football pitch. The site has been developed to be accessible to all and includes a car park with 430 parking spaces.

Delivering a project of this size meant working closely and consulting with stakeholder groups across Maidenhead, including  Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead  (RBWM) departments, elected councillors, sports clubs, arts and community groups.

Specifically we

• Managed the selection of the design team
• Provided expert advice on procurement and framework options
• Successfully managed the complex planning process, including approval for construction on green belt
• Lead progress meetings and implemented a reporting structure
• Advised on stakeholder communications and management
• Managed and reported on all elements of cost

At the start of the project, we recommended and deployed the SCAPE Construction Framework.

This brought Wates Construction into the project early at Stage 2. This provided clear advantages of early contractor involvement into design, buildability and the procurement process. Expert project management of this framework is critical to ensure budget and programme challenges do not derail progress.

Our collaborative approach to ensure all are informed and engaged meant that we had created the goodwill and shared ownership to flex the scope and keep the project on track where needed.  

This approach was further justified when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. We are proud that the site was only closed for a total of 3 days during lockdown in order to allow Covid guidelines to be assessed and measures implemented. The project team continued to meet virtually twice a week to review the evolving situation and mitigate the impact.

The Outcomes

Planning permission was achieved in under a yar post appointment and Braywick Leisure Centre opened in September 2020.

Clarkson Alliance was particularly praised for team leadership, effective communications and the management of the contract and risks.

“Clarkson Alliance provide a consistent approach and offer depth in quality and flexibility. They provide excellent management of the design team.” Kevin Mist, Head of Community & Economic Development, Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead