National contractor Willmott Dixon has agreed a deal to deliver the largest hub of its kind ever built in the Wakefield district.

The £17 million project will see Five Towns Leisure and Wellbeing Hub delivered in Pontefract, featuring facilities such as a 10-lane swimming pool, studio pool with moveable floor and a splash pad water confidence area. There will also be a gym, exercise studios, dedicated spin studio, climbing activity, café, meeting and referral rooms for community use, while outside there will be four tennis courts, a wellbeing garden and interactive play area, a full size 3G artificial grass pitch and car parking.


Wakefield Council awarded the contract to Willmott Dixon after the firm's work successfully completing Minsthorpe Leisure Centre.

The contractor will work with GT+3 Architect, ARCADIS Design & Consultancy as project manager and Waterman Group, structural engineers.

Anthony Dillon, managing director for Willmott Dixon in North, said: "The team are exceptionally proud of what we created with Minsthorpe Leisure Centre, which has been an important new addition in the south east of Wakefield District. Five Towns Leisure is part a new breed of facility by local authorities that are more like community hubs, offering a wide range of activities and services for local people, and we are looking forward to making another big impact in Wakefield by expanding the District's leisure and community facilities with Five Towns Leisure."

Construction work on the hub will be completed in autumn 2020.

(CM/JG)