The brand new Skyliner sports centre was officially opened on Saturday by the Mayor of St Edmundsbury, Councillor Julia Wakelam and other guests.
Located on the site of the Sybil Andrews Academy, on Rougham Tower Avenue in Bury St Edmunds, the centre is a partnership project with a 45-station, state of the art gym, two fitness studios, a four-badminton court sports hall and an outdoor 3G all-weather pitch. From the start of the project the aim has always been to have a school which has wider links with the community through shared use of leisure facilities.
The sports centre will be managed by Abbeycroft Leisure, who also manage twelve other leisure facilities in Suffolk and Cambridge, and will be open to the public every day, with some shared daytime use of the sports hall by the Academy.
Designed by Concertus and built by Barnes Construction, the project to develop the Academy, and the adjoining sports facility has been a joint venture between St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Suffolk County Council, Abbeycroft Leisure and Samuel Ward Trust.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council has contributed around £1.5 million towards the shared leisure facilities, which includes £360,000 negotiated by the council with a housing developer specifically for sports facilities.