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Last week The Yorker reported on the possibility that the Sports Centre may close before the end of term.
The closure could have caused havoc for sport at university and college level, and also affected casual gym goers.
Sports Centre Manager John Moran confirmed that at a meeting, held on Monday, the decision was made by the university to try and keep the sports centre almost fully open until the end of term.
If all work is completed on time, the relaying of the astroturf and tennis courts could then commence.
In early June, the administration team will move their offices from the front of the building into the dance studio at the rear. This movement will results in the Centre being closed for approximately a week according to Moran, which will disrupt sport in Week 7.
Moran explained: “This decanting process from the front to back will take around a week so that the new offices can have IT set up and telephone wires installed etc. But it allows work to start at the front and for Sports Centre users to carry on as normal."
The entrance will be from the car park into the current dance studio. Portacabins in the car park will be used for changing rooms and will include toilets, showers and facilities for disabled users. Moran said the quality of changing facilities will almost be equal to those at present, although admitted this was no mean feat.
The whole project is out to tender but Moran and AU President Jo Carter are confident that sport in the summer term will be unaffected.
It’s a huge relief. I was having a massive panic.
The proposed figure for building work is £750,000, with another £200,000 likely to be needed for relaying of the astroturf and outdoor tennis and netball courts. Some students had hoped for 3G (third-generation) astroturf but Moran described this technology as “too expensive” and Carter explained that it wasn’t suitable for hockey, so another sand-based astroturf looks likely.
Carter, like many others, was pleased by the decision: “It’s a huge relief. I was having a massive panic that it [the Sports Centre] would be closed for the term.” She said the idea of Portacabins for changing rooms and disruption in Week 7 wasn’t perfect but that “it’s the best of a bad situation”.
Many students feared the worst when they couldn’t buy gym membership beyond the end of May but Moran says the Sports Centre will now be able to take bookings until the end of term, and those who have membership only until the end of May can extend their membership pro-rata.
Duty Manager Carl Hodgson also confirmed that the lunchtime six-a-side football competition will start in Week 4 although the five-a-side league will not run this term.
Until the building work goes over schedule and over budget like practically every UoY building project in recent years...
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