Contractor appointed for Carlisle's Sands Centre RAAC roof

A contractor has been appointed to replace the roof of the Sands Centre in Carlisle.

Following a detailed structural assessment last year by specialist engineers, a recommendation was put forward to replace the RAAC panels in the auditorium roof.

The assessment was undertaken following the change in government guidance on the use of RAAC in buildings.

Cumberland Council has appointed Carlisle-based Cubby Construction Ltd.

The council will now work with them to finalise a design and programme to undertake the works. It is anticipated that this next stage will be finalised by the spring.

Funding has already been secured from within existing council budgets. The costs and timeframes will be confirmed once the final design work has been completed.

Following the temporary closure of the auditorium in September last year, GLL, who manage the venue on the council’s behalf, have moved their classical concert programme to the sports hall within The Sands and some event organisers are using alternative venues within the city, including the Old Fire Station and Stanwix Theatre.

Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: “We look forward to working with Cubby Construction Ltd to make the necessary improvements to The Sands Centre.

“Based upon the findings of the independent structural assessment and the engineer’s recommendations, we needed to take action to ensure the safe use of the auditorium.

“We have accelerated our plans to replace the RAAC roof as we need to protect the safety of the public whilst also providing the investment opportunity to modernise the overall experience when attending events at The Sands Centre.

“Plans were already in place for the roof, so we have taken steps to get the replacement work underway. Now that we have identified a contractor, we will get things moving and make the essential investment in one of the region’s premier entertainment venues.” 

The temporary closure of the events space does not impact the day-to-day running of the main leisure centre.

The new main Sands Centre building’s leisure provision is unaffected, which includes the pools, gym, studios and sports hall.

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