More than 200 pools have closed since the pandemic and Swim England fears we could lose 2,000 by the end of the decade if we continue on this path.

These leisure centre closures are completely out of step with the government’s new levelling up agenda, following the launch of its White Paper in February, which is ultimately about reducing inequalities and improving outcomes in all areas across the UK. The government’s vision extends to health and wellbeing, including obesity and life-expectancy measures.

Ensuring people have access to modern, fit-for-purpose sports and physical activity facilities is critical to reducing health inequalities. Obesity rates have soared during the pandemic, especially among children. The stats are shocking – according to the National Child Measurement Programme figures published in November 2021, two-fifths of children aged 10-11 in England are overweight or obese and more than a quarter of four to seven year olds are overweight.

Regular physical activity is key to maintaining a healthy weight and preventing a host of health conditions, but people need somewhere to do that physical activity. Yes, they can walk or jog outside, but these activities are not for everyone. In order to establish healthy, long-term habits, children and adults need to find things they enjoy and will be more inclined to stick to. Activities like exercise classes, swimming, basketball, netball or table tennis. In short, the type of activities that you would traditionally find at a leisure centre.

Closing leisure centres without providing alternative options will do nothing to improve health inequalities; in fact, it will only make them worse. We need to invest in modern, sustainable and fit for purpose leisure facilities where people will enjoy being active, however they choose to exercise.

As an athlete and sports presenter I’ve been fortunate to experience some of the best sports and leisure facilities in the world. Thanks to Paragon’s insulated tensioned membrane buildings, the UK can offer equally superior venues, which are bright, airy and energy efficient and which can be built at a fraction of the cost of traditional buildings and constructed significantly faster too. These structures are a viable solution to our leisure infrastructure crisis ensuring that people across the UK have access to high quality facilities to improve their health and wellbeing.

Environmentally friendly sports facilities from Paragon Structures are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, including the record-breaking winds which recently hit the UK.

Last month, the UK was ravaged by three storms in seven days, including Storm Eunice, its worst storm in 30 years. Recording wind speeds as high as 122mph – the fastest ever recorded in the country – Eunice left a trail of destruction in its wake.

Sports and leisure facilities were among the casualties. The storm ripped roofs off sports centres and left a huge hole in the roof of the 02 Arena, leaving the owners severely out of pocket due to the costly repairs and loss of income.

Storm Eunice also destroyed the Air Dome at Cardiff International Sports Campus. Similar to those at Chelsea and Ajax football clubs, Cardiff’s air dome was built in 2017 over a 3G pitch to provide indoor training. The collapsed sports facility will be closed for the foreseeable future.

Built to withstand hurricane strength winds

In contrast to these traditional air domes, high performance sports facilities from Paragon Structures are designed to withstand the most extreme weather conditions. Working with our partners Sprung – the world’s leader in the manufacture of engineered tension membrane structures – our structures benefit from a sophisticated tension system built using individual 15ft (4.5m) membrane panels which are tensioned both vertically and horizontally.

Once the membrane is tensioned, it will never need to be re-tensioned again during its lifespan. The membrane structure is highly resistant to tearing and ripping, even if forcefully punctured. Combined with each structure’s unique shape, the robust tension system is designed to meet design wind speeds for hurricane and typhoon zones.

This explains why a Sprung structure was one of the few buildings to remain standing after Hurricane Katrina hit the US, why another Sprung building was used as a storm shelter during Cyclone Pam, a category 5 cyclone, and yet another Sprung building took two direct hits from hurricanes Frances and Jeanne (with winds over 125 mph) without sustaining any damage, inside or out.

Environmentally friendly sports facilities

In addition to their strength and durability, sport structures from Paragon are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. They have a thick, uniform layer of insulation from the base of the walls to the apex of the roof. This insulation combined with the airtightness of the membrane design, which is 10 times better than building regulations limits, creates a highly thermally efficient building to significantly reduces running costs.

The flexible sports buildings are made with environmentally friendly materials including aluminium for the frame, which is 100% recyclable. The glass fibre insulation is formaldehyde free and contains a minimum of 25% recycled material, while the membrane materials can also be recycled.

The structures use low carbon footprint materials compared to steel or brick buildings, minimise waste to landfill due to reduced foundations and prefabrication and result in low construction site traffic. They have also achieved a BREEAM rating of Excellent.

Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies joins with Paragon Structures for a new generation of school sports facilities across the UK

The Olympian, Sharron Davies, has joined forces with Paragon Structures to bring affordable, accessible and sustainable sports facilities to the UK education sector.

Passionate about health and fitness, the former Olympic swimmer says we need to take a new approach to building sport and activity spaces in schools.

“It’s time to think differently about how we build health and fitness spaces. Great facilities don’t have to take two years to construct and they don’t need to be so expensive. Modern tensioned membrane structures like those from Paragon are both beautiful and fantastic quality. We can significantly reduce the total build programme and they are up to 40 per cents cheaper too. These structures have proved very successful in the US, Canada and Europe, so it’s time we benefited from them here in the UK.”

Using patented technology and following years of extensive research and development, Paragon’s structures meet the needs of all sports, from tennis, cricket and swimming to netball, basketball and rugby. The buildings meet Sport England standards and feature  vast clear-span interiors, generous roof heights and translucent daylight panels that flood the space with natural light to provide a superior playing environment for both training and competitions. The superior insulation ensures a comfortable year-round environment.

Becoming an ambassador and shareholder in Paragon Structures, specialist providers of insulated tensioned membrane buildings, marks a turning point in Sharron’s career. Occupying a unique position in British life, Sharron has been one of the UK’s best known and most popular sportswomen since bursting onto the scene as a 13 year old Olympian in 1976. More than 40 years later she is still a popular television personality, public speaker and sports commentator and has attended 12 Olympic Games. A qualified personal trainer, Sharron is also launching a fitness app in the New Year to help people exercise at home.

“If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic, it’s the importance of being active throughout our lives. Not all children like traditional sports, but by helping them find an activity they enjoy we can develop good habits that will last a lifetime to benefit their mental and physical health. These modern and flexible buildings are the perfect choice for schools looking to upgrade their sports facilities. They can be adapted at any time so schools can provide a range of activities to suit youngsters now and in the future to help them develop a love of physical activity,” she says.

Alan Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Paragon Structures, says: “We are delighted to be working with Sharron. You really couldn’t get anyone more passionate and enthusiastic about improving the nation’s health and fitness. Paragon Structures was born out of a desire to have a direct impact on health and physical activity by building affordable, yet state of the art facilities. Sharron shares that vision and with her help we hope to bring the benefits of modern, multi-purpose sport and recreation spaces to more schools across the UK.”

England is facing a pool crisis with quality facilities forecast to drop by 40 per cent by 2030. Enter Paragon Structures – Swim England’s solution partner.

Paragon Structures has been named as a solution partner to England’s swimming pool crisis in Swim England’s new report which warns that almost 2,000 swimming pools could be lost by 2030.

England is facing a swimming pool crisis; the number of quality facilities could drop by 40 per cent by 2030, unless urgent steps are taken

Latest figures from the national governing body show that there will be a huge reduction in the amount of water space available by the end of the decade, which could threaten the future of aquatic sports. 

Decade of decline

The looming shortage is based on pools which were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s and are coming to the end of their lifespan, while not enough new facilities are being built to replace them.

The report, A Decade of Decline: The Future of Swimming Pools in England, suggests that the issue has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, with 206 swimming pools already having closed.

In addition to calling for £1bn of government investment into public leisure facilities to develop the next generation of pools, both by building new pools and refurbishing existing stock, Swim England has recommended solutions to help mitigate the problem.

Paragon pool concept

We worked with Swim England to develop a concept design for a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly pool facility at a works cost estimate of £2,500 per sqm.

The high quality facility can be rapidly constructed at a works cost estimate of £2,500 per sqm through our pre-designed, off-site solution. Utilising the world’s leading insulated tensioned membrane building from Sprung Structures minimises design and construction costs and significantly reduces the construction time, which in turn de-risks the project programme. This combined with leading pool technology provides unique design, construction and operating benefits, delivering a superior swimming environment at a significant lower cost. The Paragon pool concept could bring the construction cost of a pool facility build down to around £4m.

The facility would provide a fully accessible, naturally lit, 25 metre 6 lane pool, in addition to an open and light reception area, cafe and social space, changing village, activity spaces and poolside viewing. The Paragon team would deliver a full  turnkey solution, from design through to handover of the finished swim facility. Learn more about the Paragon pool concept here

Swimming is one of the country’s most popular activities and pools are a vital resource for clubs, casual swimmers, schools and families.

There’s a huge opportunity for independent schools to open up their pools outside of the school day during evenings, weekends and school holidays to help plug the gap in swimming pool provision and meet the needs of the wider community.

Materials shortages are hamstringing UK building projects, but you can control costs and deliver your project on time, says Matt Sanders, director of Paragon Structures

Delivering construction projects on time and within budget is challenging at the best of times, but is currently being made all the more difficult by material shortages and sharp rises in costs. As a result, building projects across the UK – including new sports facilities – are facing costly delays.

Key building materials, including timber and steel, continue to be in short supply and product prices are expected to more than double during the course of the year.

All of this makes for depressing reading if you are planning a new sports facility for your campus. It’s likely that not only will your project be delayed while your builders wait for critical materials to arrive, but the cost of the build may also increase significantly during the course of the project as demand for scarce resources soars.

As specialists in the design and delivery of premium tensile structures for the UK sport and education sectors, we can protect our customers from these increasing lead times and price rises. Our partner Sprung Structures, which is located in Canada, has a staggering 200,000 sq m of building materials stored at its two facilities. With all the materials needed to create a bespoke tensioned membrane sports building already held in stock, they can ship the materials in three to four weeks from the date of order. Add four weeks shipping time to the UK and work could begin on your new sports building in just eight weeks. The 40ft shipping containers arrive to site containing everything needed to construct your sports building, including all of the specialist tools. We even ship over an expert from the Canadian office to oversee the development and ensure the project goes without a hitch – it really is the faster and smarter way to build.

And because all the materials are already in stock, there are no nasty surprises when it comes to costs. In fact, the price you are quoted when you place your order and pay your deposit won’t change at all. So, you can be assured of a high performance sports building with a lifespan of 30-35 years at the original price you were quoted, regardless of all the disruption and delay being experienced elsewhere in the UK construction industry. 

These unprecedented times for the construction sector come at a time when sports facilities are needed more than ever. If the Covid pandemic has taught us anything, it is the vital role that sport and physical activity facilities play in the mental and physical health of university students, staff and the local community. Keeping control of sports building projects, so they can be delivered on time and on budget, has never been more critical.

Building projects across the UK are being hit by a shortage of materials and sharp rises in costs, leading to potential delays to projects, including the building of new sports facilities.

The Sport and Play Construction Association is the latest organisation to highlight the issue, following concerns from the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and the Federation of Master Builders about the availability and cost of a range of products and materials that are essential to UK construction projects.

In a recent statement, the CLC said most of the shortages of products and raw materials impacting the market have been driven by both global and domestic supply and demand factors, in particular relating to timber, steel, pitched roofing, plastics and paints/coatings.

Global demand for steel remains extremely high and last month British Steel advised it had temporarily stopped taking orders for structural steel sections.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics projects a rise of 7-8 per cent in material prices, with increases for certain materials, such as timber, expected to more than double during the course of the year.

All of this makes for depressing reading if you have a sports project planned. It’s likely that not only will your project be delayed while your builders wait for critical materials to arrive, but the cost of the build may also increase significantly during the course of the project as demand for scarce resources soars.

Happily, we can protect our customers from these increasing lead times and price rises. Our partner Sprung Structures, which is located in Canada, has a staggering 200,000 sq m of building materials stored at its two facilities. With all the materials needed to create a bespoke tensioned membrane sports building already held in stock, they can ship the materials in three to four weeks from the date of order. Add four weeks shipping time to the UK and work could begin on your new sports building in just eight weeks. The 40ft shipping containers arrive to site containing everything needed to construct your sports building, including all of the specialist tools. We even ship over an expert from the Canadian office to oversee the development and ensure the project goes without a hitch – it really is the faster and smarter way to build.

And because all the materials are already in stock, there are no nasty surprises when it comes to costs. In fact, the price you are quoted when you place your order and pay your deposit won’t change at all. So, you can be assured of a high performance sports building with a lifespan of 30-35 years at the original price you were quoted, regardless of all the disruption and delay being experienced elsewhere in the UK construction industry. 

These unprecedented times for the construction sector come at a time when sports facilities are needed more than ever. If the Covid pandemic has taught us anything, it is the vital role that sport and physical activity facilities play in the nation’s mental and physical health. Keeping control of sports building projects, so they can be delivered on time and on budget, has never been more critical.

Environmentally friendly, quick to build and up to 40 percent cheaper than conventional sports buildings; why wouldn’t you choose a tensioned membrane building for your next sports project?

There’s growing interest in tensioned membrane buildings – modern, long-lasting sports structures at a fraction of the cost of traditional sports buildings. Inside, they provide a unique playing experience. Meeting Sport England standards, the buildings feature vast clear-span interiors, generous roof heights and translucent daylight panels that flood the space with natural light, while the superior insulation ensures a comfortable year-round environment.

Millfield School installed two fully-insulated structures to create golf and cricket centres for year-round use by pupils and the wider sporting community. Developed by Paragon Structures, specialist providers to the sport and education sectors, the two centres were completed in well under half the time of conventional sports buildings.

“We essentially ended up with two new buildings for the price of one traditionally-built one, all delivered in just seven months from start to finish,”

says Neil Chapillon, Millfield School’s Head of Estates.

Faster, cheaper and easier to build

Using patented technology, Paragon’s structures cater for all sports, from tennis, cricket and swimming to netball, basketball and rugby. Designed to outperform for decades, the bespoke, lightweight structures comprise a military-grade rust-proof aluminium frame, guaranteed for 50 years, and floor-to-roof insulation sandwiched between two tensioned fabric membranes with a 25-year guarantee.

A Paragon structure will save up to 40 per cent on capital costs compared to traditional buildings. The rapid build time dramatically reduces the project’s overall cost – a 1,000 sqm building can be completed in just 35 days irrespective of weather conditions – as well as massively reducing site traffic, disruption and risk. The standardised design and offsite pre-manufacture reduces design time, project programme length and professional fees.

All this ensures a better, more cost-effective sports building delivered on time and within budget.

Meeting your sustainability and environmental needs

Paragon sports buildings have achieved a BREEAM rating of Excellent. They use low carbon footprint materials compared to steel or brick buildings. The aluminium frame is 100% recyclable, the glass fibre insulation is formaldehyde free and contains a minimum of 25% recycled material, while the membrane materials require minimal maintenance can also be recycled.

Prefabrication and reduced foundations minimise waste to landfill and also mean low construction site traffic.

The thick insulation combined with the airtightness of the membrane design, which is 10 times better than building regulations limits, create a highly thermally efficient building, significantly reducing running costs.

Built to withstand extreme weather conditions, including hurricane strength winds and heavy snow loads, Paragon’s buildings are also flame retardant and comply with all British building standards and safety regulations.

Environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and quick to build, tensioned membrane buildings from Paragon Structures are the ideal solution for schools, colleges and universities looking to upgrade their sports facilities.

Q. What is a tensioned membrane building?

Our high performance buildings are lightweight structures comprising a military-grade aluminium frame and a tensioned fabric membrane – the longest-lasting fabric of its type in the world. Using patented technology and following years of extensive research and development, our structures meet the needs of all sports, from tennis, cricket and swimming to netball, basketball and rugby.

Q. How long do they last?

Our insulated sports buildings are designed to perform for decades. Fully bespoke, they come with a 25-year, pro-rata guarantee on the exterior membrane, while the aluminium substructure is guaranteed rust-proof for 50 years.

Q. How do costs compare to traditional sports buildings?

Capital costs are up to 40 per cent cheaper and there are fewer foundation costs – our sports facilities require minimal foundation substructures, subject to appropriate ground conditions. Airtight and insulated, they are more cost-effective to operate too.

Q. How long do they take to build?

Quicker to construct than traditional sports buildings, a 1,000m2 insulated structure is typically erected in 35 days irrespective of weather conditions, significantly reducing project build time, cost, disruption and risk. Our two award-winning sports buildings for Millfield School completed in just seven months.

Q. How environmentally-friendly are they?

Our sports buildings have achieved a BREEAM rating of Excellent. They use low carbon footprint materials compared to steel or brick buildings, including the aluminium frame, which is 100% recyclable. The glass fibre insulation is formaldehyde free and contains a minimum of 25% recycled material, while the membrane materials can also be recycled. Prefabrication and reduced foundations minimise waste to landfill and also mean low construction site traffic. Superior insulation combines with the airtightness of the membrane design, which is 10 times better than building regulations limits, to ensure a highly thermally efficient building.

Q. How robust are they?

The structures are built to withstand extreme weather conditions, including hurricane strength winds and heavy snow loads. They are also flame retardant and comply with all British building standards and safety regulations.

Q. What is the playing performance like?

Incredible. Meeting Sport England standards, the buildings feature vast clear-span interiors, generous roof heights and translucent daylight panels that flood the space with natural light to provide the ideal playing environment for both training and competitions. The superior insulation ensures a comfortable year-round environment with no condensation.

Q. Are they fully bespoke?

The buildings can be customised with a wide variety of exterior wall options, colours and graphics. We provide a full turnkey solution. Working with you throughout the process, our experienced team provides a full design specification and quality assurance to tailor the facility to your needs.

Environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and quick to build, tensioned membrane buildings from PaThinking of upgrading your sports facilities? Take a leaf out of Millfield School’s book and take your facilities to the next level with a state-of-the-art tensioned membrane building.

Millfield School is the first school in the UK to install not one, but two ground-breaking tensioned membrane buildings from Paragon Structures, specialist providers to the sport and education sectors.

“When your school’s mission is to be a world leader for the development of children and offer them outstanding sporting opportunities, you need to take a step into the unknown and challenge what’s gone before. It was a gamble that’s certainly paid off,”

 says Neil Chapillon, Head of Estates at Millfield School.

The school’s new award-winning golf and cricket structures facilitate year-round practice for pupils and the wider sporting community, including the English Cricket Board for its coaching and umpire courses.

Using patented technology, Paragon’s insulated tensioned membrane buildings are a viable solution for schools looking for a sustainable and cost-effective sports facility. The long-lasting structures offer a superior performance space for all sports and leisure activities, from tennis, cricket and swimming, to netball, basketball and even an indoor 200m athletics track.

They are significantly quicker to construct than traditional sports buildings – a 1,000m2 insulated structure is typically erected in 35 days irrespective of weather conditions and both Millfield projects completed within just seven months. They are considerably more cost-effective too, with up to 40 per cent cheaper capital costs.

Meeting Sport England standards, the structures feature vast clear-span interiors, generous ceiling heights and translucent daylight panels that flood the space with natural light to provide the ideal playing environment for both training and competitions.

“Paragon Structures have taken our golf and cricket facilities to the next level. I’m blown away by the results. Compared to traditional constructions, Paragon’s sprung structure solution was unbeatable; we essentially ended up with two new buildings for the price of one traditionally-built, all delivered in just seven months from start to finish,”

says Chapillon.

Entirely bespoke, the sports buildings are made with environmentally-friendly materials including an aluminium frame, which is 100% recyclable. They use low carbon footprint materials compared to steel or brick buildings, minimise waste to landfill due to reduced foundations and prefabrication and result in low construction site traffic. They have also achieved a BREEAM rating of Excellent.

The structures are lightweight and durable and are built to withstand extreme weather conditions, including hurricane strength winds and heavy snow loads. They are also flame retardant and comply with all British building standards and safety regulations. Meanwhile, superior insulation combined with the airtightness of the membrane design, which is 10 times better than building regulations limits, create highly thermally efficient buildings to significantly reduce running costs.

With a 25-year, pro-rata guarantee on exterior membranes and a military-grade aluminium substructure that is guaranteed rust-proof for 50 years, the versatile sports structures are designed to perform for decades.

“Our high performance buildings are suitable for all sports. Built to last, they are a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solution for schools looking to serve the sporting needs of pupils and staff for decades to come,” says Matt Sanders, Managing Director ofParagon Structures.

Environmentally friendly, quick to build and up to 40 percent cheaper than conventional sports buildings; why wouldn’t you choose a tensioned membrane building for your next sports project?

Engagement in sport and physical activity not only helps recruit and retain students and staff; it also contributes to increased academic attainment and greater graduate employability, according to research by British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS), the national governing body for higher education sport. 

Now BUCS is calling for universities to re-look at their sport and physical activity offer as an essential part of their strategy, so they can unlock its value for all students and staff.

Rapid and cost-effective construction

Using patented technology, Paragon Structure’s insulated tensioned membrane buildings provide a viable, cost-effective sports facility solution for universities.

Significantly quicker to construct than traditional sports buildings, a 1,000m2 insulated structure is typically erected in 35 days irrespective of weather conditions, massively reducing overall project build time, cost, disruption and risk.

These modern buildings are considerably more cost-effective too, with up to 40 per cent cheaper capital costs and fewer foundation costs, as they require minimal foundation substructures, subject to appropriate ground conditions.

Millfield’s investment in two award-winning Paragon structures has put the leading independent school at the forefront of educational cricket and golf facilities.

“Paragon’s sprung structure solution was unbeatable; we essentially ended up with two new buildings for the price of one traditionally-built, both delivered in just seven months from start to finish.”

Says Head of Estates, Neil Chapillon

Energy efficient and environmentally friendly

Paragon’s structures have a thick, uniform layer of insulation from the base of the walls to the apex of the roof. Combined with the airtightness of the membrane design, which is 10 times better than building regulations limits, they create a highly thermally-efficient building that significantly reduces running costs.

Entirely bespoke, the sports buildings are made with environmentally-friendly materials, including aluminium for the frame, which is 100% recyclable. The glass fibre insulation is formaldehyde free and contains a minimum of 25% recycled material, while the membrane materials can also be recycled.

The structures use low carbon footprint materials compared to steel or brick buildings, minimise waste to landfill due to reduced foundations and prefabrication, and result in low construction site traffic. They have also achieved a BREEAM rating of Excellent.

Suitable for all levels of sport

Paragon’s long-lasting structures meet Sport England standards and offer a superior performance space for all sports and leisure activities, from cricket, football and swimming, to tennis, netball, rugby and basketball.

With vast clear-span interiors, generous roof heights and translucent daylight panels that flood the space with natural light, they provide the ideal playing environment for both training and competitions.

Lightweight and durable, the structures are built to withstand extreme weather conditions, including hurricanes, high winds and heavy snow. Anti-condensation technology means they are virtually condensation-free and they also benefit from excellent air quality for a comfortable playing experience at the optimal indoor temperature, all year long. They are also flame retardant and comply with all British building standards and safety regulations.

With a 25-year, pro-rata guarantee on exterior membranes and a military-grade aluminium substructure that is guaranteed rust-proof for 50 years, Paragon’s versatile sports structures are designed to perform for decades.