Major Lancashire Dry Slope Refurbishment and Expansion
Major Lancashire Dry Slope Refurbishment and Expansion
Published : 23-Mar-2016 05:37
Ski Rossendale, the dry slope located 20 miles north of Manchester in Lancashire is to get a major upgrade of its facilities and an expanded beginner area.
Once under threat of going out of business and forced to close for several months a few years ago before re-emerging as a social enterprise, the complex has been awarded £440,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England's Improvement Fund to improve facilities (with additional match funding bringing the total investment in up to £630,000).
A sizable chunk of this investment will; be going on a new Snowflex® snowsports surface system to refurbish and expand the nursery slope and the entire associated infrastructure, supplied by Briton Engineering Developments Ltd based just over the border in Yorkshire.
The redevelopment at Ski Rossendale, also supported by Rossendale Borough Council, also includes a new first-floor cafe and clubroom at the Rawtenstall facility, alongside improved disabled access and toilets.
The nursery slope, which was last surfaced with Snowflex® some 15 years ago, will see the whole area resurfaced and expanded by 50% to 1500m2 to meet the increasing demand for ski and snowboard lessons that Ski Rossendale is experiencing.
Additionally Briton will be upgrading the misting and water re-cycling systems and will relocate the existing travellator and install a new travellator on the slope to meet the increased capacity the new larger slope will give.
"Ski Rossendale is one of our most important assets, one which has put Rossendale on the map and inspired thousands of people to get into sport.," said Councillor Andy MacNae, Rossendale's Head of Regeneration, Leisure and Tourism, adding, "It has been great working with the social enterprise team there to bring in this much needed investment. Looking forward we hope we can build on this, to attract further funding, getting Ski Rossendale back to where it belongs and complimenting regeneration going on elsewhere in the valley".
Sport England Property Director, Charles Johnston, also added: "We know people have a better experience of sport when they have good facilities in which to play. This is why we're investing in Ski Rossendale to improve their facilities so they are more appealing to young people, and help us to get them developing a lifelong sporting habit."
Ski Rossendale is one of 36 projects across England to share in over £12.5 million of National Lottery investment. Between 2012 and 2017, Sport England will have invested £45 million of lottery funding through the Improvement Fund into medium-sized projects to improve grassroots sport facilities.
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