Morden Leisure Centre

Morden Leisure Centre is a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility in South London.

The multimillion-pound Morden Leisure Centre is a contemporary facility and an exemplar of applied lessons learnt to benefit sustainability, inclusivity and creation of a local community ‘destination’.

Opened on 30 March 2019, the centre is on the edge of Morden Park. The park is renowned for its preserved beauty and ecology, and is a recreation area for a local community comprising a diverse range of cultures and religions.Developed through careful consultation and design, the new centre offers people of all ages and abilities opportunities to be active, supports wellbeing and community spirit, and respects the local environment, listed buildings and the needs of a complex demographic.

The design by GT3 Architects responded to a number of constraints and showcases a sympathetic design in the natural environment. The building was constructed by Pellikaan Construction and achieved BREEAM ‘Very Good’ certification.

Operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited, the centre comprises a 90-station fitness gym with the latest Technogym equipment, separate fitness studio, six-lane swimming pool, a secondary pool with moveable floor and diving facilities and associated amenities, including a café.

Our role

Currie & Brown acted as project manager, employer’s agent and principal designer from conception through to practical completion and post-completion works. The team facilitated the procurement of the main contractor via an OJEU restricted tender and assisted in the appointment of the consultant team. Working closely with the London Borough of Merton we managed a range of stakeholders and ensured all consultations were carefully managed.

The location of the new centre within a public park setting drew attention from various local groups. It was crucial that their aspirations for the park were acknowledged, accommodated and balanced with delivery of the new leisure centre. Currie & Brown facilitated meetings to raise awareness among external stakeholders and collate feedback on design proposals with regards to the project particulars, its programme and to clarify any queries.

Currie & Brown managed the contract administration process both pre and post-contract, ensuring changes were managed through a robust change control process and reported via a formal change register. All changes with potential to give rise to a cost increase were reviewed and challenged and cost savings sought in other areas while maintaining functionality and acceptability. In conjunction with the main contractor, Currie & Brown monitored the progress of works on site and highlighted any progress discrepancies, ensuring mitigation measures were established to maintain progress.

Added value

Our experience of high-value projects combined with significant sports and infrastructure works was significant in successfully delivering this project on time and on budget. Working closely with the cost manager we used value management techniques to eliminate unnecessary costs. Through specific value-engineering exercises at all stages of the project we were able to deliver a project that delivered real value for money.