New Sports Facilities make their debuts

Following a 12-month redevelopment, Cochrane Park Sports ground has re-opened with three floodlit artificial turf pitches. The sports complex also features a pavilion extension. This includes changing rooms, physiotherapy and seminar rooms, a rowing ergo and training area, and extended bus and car parking.

The site has a dedicated reception and will be the home for representative and intramural rugby union and football. Spectators will be able to watch the action from pitchside or from the licensed bar area operated by the Students Union.

Phase I of the indoor sports centre development has opened. It boasts modern facilities for teaching and research as part of the Sport and Exercise Science Degree programmes. These include biomechanics and exercise physiology laboratories, a gait track, environmental chamber, nutrition kitchen and analysis suite.

New spaces include an eight-court sports hall with viewing balcony, a basketball show court, four glass-backed squash courts and two exercise studios. A meeting room and office space have been created. All these will enhance the student experience through sport.

Colin Blackburn, Director of Sports Services, said: "We're delighted with the redeveloped Cochrane Park and Phase I of the new Sports Centre. Both facilities will enable us to expand our sporting offer from beginner to elite performer. They will enhance the spectator experience at both venues. This helps us to realise our strategic vision of being one of the top sporting universities in the UK."

Emma Stevenson, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science, added: "Our new state-of-the art facilities enable us to deliver excellent, applied teaching on our undergraduate programme. They also enable the highest quality student and staff research. The new building will also help us to ensure we continue to attract excellent students to sport and exercise science."

Phase II of the indoor sports centre development will be completed in May 2020. Development started on 28 October 2019 with the redevelopment of the existing sports centre. This provides an expanded 200-station gym with full range of free and fixed weights. It also boasts functional rig and benches, cable machines, and extensive cardio and spin cycling areas. A 50-station strength and conditioning suite and mind body and exercise studios adds to the existing sports hall and changing rooms. All these facilities will ensure sports programs can continue to expand and develop in line with student need and expectation.

During this redevelopment, the gym has been temporarily relocated into the old sports hall. The sports hall's larger footprint allows for more equipment such as extra benches and free weights. It allows for a larger warm up/cool down area to be spaciously located across the gym floor for enhanced user experience.