The Outdoor Sports Centre improvements are the next step in the rich history of this facility. Find out more about the progress we have made in planning and consulting on the improvements as well as the earlier history of the Sports Centre.
Project progress tracker
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February 2024
On Tuesday 6 February 2024, cabinet approved the Outdoor Sports Centre scheme to implement the revised designs.
The scheme had to go to cabinet for approval to implement the revised designs from those presented for public consultation in 2021, cabinet approval in 2022, and the planning application in 2023. The revised designs are due to the scheme going through an exercise to seek to ensure it remains within budget.
The scope of improvements at the Outdoor Sports Centre remains predominantly the same as the one presented in 2021.
The most significant changes include a size reduction to The Hub building and a reduction in the number of covered courts to two courts. There will also be changes to the Alpine Ski Lodge together with a relocation of the learner slope and changes to the building material and palette selection.
The Outdoor Sports Centre remains open for business for people to visit and enjoy. Whilst works are ongoing, the Sports Centre will be open as much as possible, allowing for people to still use certain facilities.
More information on the closure of specific facilities will be available at a later date.
The programme is still planned for main works to commence on site in autumn this year.
Morgan Sindall has been appointed as the contractor under a pre-construction services agreement to design and develop the ambitious improvements to the Outdoor Sports Centre.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Satvir Kaur discusses the regeneration plans to Southampton’s Outdoor Sports Centre, the state-of-the-art facility designed to transform lives and give access to all.
Match funding has been secured with additional funding being explored to deliver the Masterplan of Improvements to the site which will improve the quality of life in our city, whilst supporting health and wellbeing, creating local jobs and growing our visitor economy.
January 2023
The exciting plans to expand inclusive access to sport and opportunities to be active at Southampton’s Outdoor Sports Centre have been given the green light by the Levelling Up Fund. (space) The Masterplan of Improvements to Southampton’s Outdoor Sports Centre is expected to deliver £98.8 millions of monetised benefits.
Southampton Bike Park officially reopened on Thursday 26 January following an extensive improvement programme.
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Winter 2022
Bike Park update
The Southampton Bike Park reopened on Friday 25 November following an extensive improvement programme. Improvements to the Bike Park include a new start hill, three-all weathered trails with a dedicated push-up and a new advanced trail.
National Sporting Heritage Day took place on Friday 30 September and this year's theme was celebrating diversity in sport. In this video, Peter Hull MBE and Councillor Lorna Fielker discuss the importance of diversity in sport and the facilities and activities Southampton has to offer.
Bike Park update
The matters regarding the service pipe have now been resolved and the improvement works to the Bike Park can now resume from Monday 17 October. The Bike Park works are anticipated to complete this winter.
Summer 2022
UEFA Women's EURO 2022
The UEFA Women's EURO 2022 took place in July this year. The UEFA Women's EURO has provided an opportunity for women and girls to participate in football to the same level as men and boys and has contributed to football becoming a more accessible and inclusive sport. The proposed improvements to football at the Outdoor Sports Centre will create increased opportunities for women and girls to play football.
Southampton submits LUF Bid
Southampton City Council has submitted three bids to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund (LUF) totalling £55 million. These will unlock over £80 million investment in the city. The bid, Southampton City of Opportunity: Inclusive access to sport, will support the regeneration of the Outdoor Sports Centre.
Bike Park update
The works to the Bike Park took longer than anticipated due to work which took place with partners regarding a service pipe on the site. These matters were resolved, so works continue and the Bike Park is due to complete this winter. We apologise for the inconvenience this caused.
Spring 2022
Proposed improvements to athletics at the Outdoor Sports Centre
In this video, Chris Rees, Race Director for the ABP Southampton Marathon, discusses proposed improvements to athletics at the Outdoor Sports Centre and how improved facilities at the city's main venue for outdoor sports will enable increased participation and inclusivity in sport.
Following the cabinet decision on 7 February, work to improve the Bike Park and Woodland trail started on Monday 21 March which will focus on resurfacing and reprofiling these popular cycle routes. The Bike Park will be closed while works are ongoing, with the Woodland trail fenced off in areas as work progresses but will otherwise be opened to the public as much as possible. The rest of the Outdoor Sports Centre remains open as usual.
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From 6 August to 31 October 2021, we conducted a 12-week public consultation on the Masterplan of Improvements for the Outdoor Sports Centre. The public consultation gathered feedback from 2,547 people on the proposed improvements which have been designed in line with previous engagement and consultation. Improvements proposed in the masterplan include:
New ‘hub’ offering changing facilities, gym, café and more
New covered tennis and netball courts
Improvements for an integrated cycling offer
New artificial grass football pitches
Improvements to the hockey pitches
Improvements to the snow sports centre including a new ski lodge
Transformational use of the north of the site with a new ‘family zone’ providing an outdoor gym, skatepark, children’s play area and more
New enlarged grandstand and clubhouse for events and officials at the athletics track
Improvements to cricket pitches
Additional on-site car parking
The Masterplan of Improvements also proposes other enhancements to paths, seating, lighting and environmental features across the entire site.
Feedback and suggestions were reviewed and considered before the Council's Cabinet approved the use of the Masterplan of Improvements as the proposed scope of works on 7 February 2022.
Further information and background
Brief history of the Outdoor Sports CentreSHOW
Southampton’s Outdoor Sports Centre first opened in 1938 with a far-sighted objective to “promote health to untold numbers and prove to be one of the outstanding assets of a town”.
After World War II broke out in September 1939, the Outdoor Sports Centre was used for military occupation and as a temporary base ahead of D-Day. During the war, the Outdoor Sports Centre was also the location of a great open-air service of prayer and intercession as well as providing a military store for food and vegetables. With the end of the War and Victory in Europe celebrations, it is said that ‘the Outdoor Sports Centre could justifiably claim to have affected, in a small way, the great military events of the Second World War.’
The 150-acre Outdoor Sports Centre is often described as a “green lung” in the West of the city and attracts a variety of sports clubs and recreational users ranging from dog walkers to informal joggers.
Previous engagement and consultation to dateSHOW
Since the Outdoor Sports Centre opened in 1938, a number of changes, improvements and modifications have been made. We recognised that there was considerable interest in establishing a future vision for the Outdoor Sports Centre by developing key areas for improvement to enhance its offer for both competitive sports and leisure users. Over recent years, a number of community engagement activities have taken place to inform a masterplan of improvements that have directed us to where we are now.
2013
In November 2013, a series of ten drop-in sessions were held at a range of community venues with the aim of engaging local people and sports clubs to identify what they liked and disliked about the Outdoor Sports Centre. This engagement provided valuable feedback where key themes and ideas came to light. This included:
Development of Club Hub and Sports facilities to include: changing and toilet provision, meeting rooms, Café/refreshment provision, indoor sports provision
Creation of Physical Activity Opportunities to include: Marked running/jogging route, cycling circuit, outdoor gym
Infrastructure Improvements: increase and improve car park provision, improve lighting on access routes or footpaths within the site
Open Space: develop the existing woodland walks, consider options for dog walking areas and other recreational activities
Following this, we developed a draft improvement plan which covered key topics including car parking, recreational activities, sports facilities, and the ski centre.
2015
In 2015, this improvement plan along with a proposed vision for the Outdoor Sports Centre went through a 12-week public consultation where local residents, sports clubs and organisations, Friends of Southampton Sports Centre (FOSSC) and a wider audience could review and comment on the proposals. With over 1,200 responses, 89% of respondents agreed with the suggested priority areas for improvement which were listed as: Development of Hub(s), Sports facilities, Creation of physical activity opportunities, Infrastructure improvement, with a large majority, who currently use the Outdoor Sports Centre once a month or less, stating that they would use the facility more if improvements were made.
2016
The next milestone in the project was the appointment of ‘Places for People’ in 2016 who carried out further work to take the project forward by refining the proposals in line with the consultation responses and developing a viable plan.
2017
In 2017, we expanded our feasibility work to include all elements of the scheme including a detailed evaluation of the football elements and a new ‘Club Hub’. This work generated a list of recommendations which were then incorporated into the improvement plan to form the masterplan of improvements.
2018
With the initial improvement plan developing into a masterplan for the whole site, we undertook a review in 2018 to identify whether there was a need for further public consultation. It was concluded that a final public consultation on the masterplan of improvements would be conducted to ensure the proposals satisfy public need and support.
