WORK is about to start on Paddington's new super-green £4.3million sports centre which will have a plant roof

Susanna Wilkey

WORK is about to start on Paddington's new super-green £4.3million sports centre which will have a plant roof.

The state-of-the-art Crompton Street centre will include a four-court sports hall, a multi-purpose dance studio and a 30-station fitness suite.

A video suite to capture and analyse people's movement will also be built as well as a fully IT-equipped classroom and a mini-satellite library.

MP Karen Buck said: "It is a fantastic project which will hugely increase opportunities for people in the local area.

"But you cannot just open a building and hope that people go there.

"I am unreservedly in favour of this new centre but it has got to be part of a much bigger strategy which looks at how we really increase the levels of participation by adults and young people.

"That means looking at the charging barriers for schools - to make sure they can make more use of the facilities and a better outreach programme to the community."

The new centre will be environ-mentally friendly and was designed to ensure low carbon emissions.

As well as low-energy heating and lighting, it will have a green sedum (plant) roof to absorb harmful CO2 and improve the temperature indoors. The roof will act as insulation in the winter, prevent some heat absorption in the summer and will reduce noise.

Cllr Daniel Astaire said: "Keeping fit and exercise are important for all of us - young or old - as we live increasingly sedentary lives.

"This centre will provide an excellent resource for young people to work and play - learning through both the benefits of fitness and exercise. It will also provide a valuable focal point for the local community where people can catch up with friends through sport or other community activities."

Contractors Crispin and Borst Ltd will start work on February 20 and should be finished in a year.

More than £1.6million of funding has come from Sport England, Skills Active, Big Lottery Fund and John Lyon's Charity Trust.

The works will coincide with the £25million regeneration of the swimming baths on Marshall Street which is to become a fully equipped sports centre.

And the pavilion at Paddington Recreation Ground is also be refurbished at a cost of £1.45million.

susanna.wilkey@hamhigh.co.uk