The Birmingham based Leisure PFI team at Bevan Brittan LLP have advised Amber Valley Borough Council on its recently closed leisure PFI pathfinder project.

 The project has a capital value of approximately £18 million and reached financial close earlier this month. The consortium comprised DC Leisure Management Ltd, Mowlem PLC and Barclays Bank PLC. Barclays were advised by Dundas and Wilson and DC Leisure Management Ltd were advised by Nabarro Nathanson.

The project relates to the construction and refurbishment of three wet and dry leisure facilities in Alfreton, Ripley and Heanor. It is anticipated that the facilities will be open at the beginning of February 2008.

The project was the last of the four leisure PFI pathfinder projects to close. Bevan Brittan advised on the other pathfinder projects including the London Borough of Lewisham, Breckland Council and Penwith District Council.

The Bevan Brittan team was led by Projects Partner Penny Rinta Suksi assisted by Claire Green.

Commenting on the project, Penny Rinta Suksi said: “ We are delighted to have reached financial close on this pathfinder project. It was unfortunate that the scheme experienced delay due to the technical difficulties encountered in the refurbished elements of some of the facilities, but the fact that the project was completed within five months of preferred bidder appointment second time around was testament to the hard work and dedication by the authority and consortium teams.

Pure leisure centre projects, without other complementary accommodation, tend to be smaller sized projects but are vitally important if we are to have adequate facilities to respond to the anticipated surge in participation in sport in the lead up to the Olympics and beyond. The challenge for us now is to find other project structures to assist in leisure facility delivery whilst the Treasury decides on its next allocation of PFI credits for leisure projects.”