Plans for the large-scale redevelopment of Iffley Road Sports Centre have been unveiled by Oxford University this week.
The plans include a new integrated main centre, with a grandstand to house an indoor cricket school, spectator seating, changing rooms and meeting rooms.
The plans, designed by Faulkner Brown Architects, feature extensive re-structuring of the centre, except the swimming pool which will remain unaltered.
An official price tag for the redevelopment has yet to be announced, but it seems likely to exceed £19m, which will not come from central university funds.
Jon Roycroft, Director of Sport at Oxford, announced that the plans would provide “the highest quality indoor sports facilities for the 21st century and accommodate growth for the next fifty years.”
The University will apply for planning permission for the redevelopment in spring 2010.
The City Council has already approved plans for a new tennis centre adjacent to the Iffley Road site.
Plans to redevelop the existing sports centre aim to provide state of the art facilities for over 82 different indoor sports.
Rails will also be installed around the perimeter of the site, replacing the solid timber fence. This would make the historic running track, where Roger Bannister first broke the 4-minute mile barrier, visible to pedestrians on Iffley Road.
Further plans include a renovation of the central building to feature an extended cafe, meeting rooms and offices, fronting onto the running track. A double- and a single-sized hall and a two-storey gym will also be incorporated.
On 28th January, the second and final public consultation was held at the University Rugby Club Pavilion where finalised plans for the Sports Complex were revealed.
This follows the first public consultation held on 19th November of last year.
Most of the Iffley Road facilities date from between 1950 and 1972, and are becoming outdated and too small.
The Sports Centre is currently working at capacity and lacks sufficient access for disabled users.
An estimated 75% of Oxford students participate in sports and the plans intend to provide students with top class facilities.
Plans for the redevelopment had been discussed in 2006, where local residents raised concerns about Iffley’s light pollution and the threat of higher traffic levels if redevelopment occurred.
The University decided against the possibility of moving the Sports Complex away from Iffley. But it intends to engage in community-integrating schemes to benefit local residents.
The University plans to offer membership of the gym and membership of some large sports clubs, such as fencing and judo, to the local community, extending the Complex’s outreach.
Jon Roycroft, Director of Sport at Oxford, announced that the plans would provide “the highest quality indoor sports facilities for the 21st century and accommodate growth for the next fifty years.”
Student response to the plans has been positive. Izzy Westbury, England U21 Cricketer and Blues hockey player praised the plans, commenting that current Iffley facilities are currently “outdated and a little bit ramshackle” and not up to the standard of other universities’ sporting facilities.
Adam Halewood, Exeter College’s football captain summed up student reaction to the plans saying that, if everything goes to plan, “it’ll be a truly outstanding complex providing some world class facilities which is precisely what the University needs.”
