The 42-week project is not only the UK’s biggest new single build project. It also marks the first £2 million-plus framework project for SIS Pitches. Combined with the recent win of the prestigious Award for Excellence at the SAPCA Awards, February has been an incredibly busy month.
The revamped site features one rugby, one football and two hockey pitches totalling over 30,000m2 with associated landscape works including new fencing and floodlighting for all four pitches.
All four pitches were built using specially designed synthetic turf, from our SISTurf range, which is durable enough to support heavy pitch usage. The first pitch to be completed was the football field featuring SISTurf Xtra, followed by the rugby field using SISTurf Xtra Ultra shortly after. The final two pitches for hockey feature the SISTurf Hockey Elite systems.
All four fields have been tested in accordance with Framework requirements at key stages by the world-renowned testing laboratory, Labosport. All pitches were then again tested upon completion to the appropriate governing body performance standards.
Alongside students and local teams for training and fixtures, the first-class playing surfaces will be accessible for the wider Manchester community. The artificial pitches will also be available for sports clubs from across the country all year-round, day and night.
SIS Pitches Managing Director, Bryn Lee, commented; “This was a fantastic project to win, being the largest to come out of the framework to date. We faced several challenges along the way, mostly ground and weather-related.
“The end result though are four superb playing surfaces, which will provide students with world-class facilities for years to come. As one of the leading universities for sport, the new surfaces will no doubt be a considerable asset, and go a long way to maintaining their reputation.
What’s more, we are delighted to have been recognised by the delegates at SAPCA for the second year running. It is a huge honour to receive the Award for Excellence for an outstanding project at the University of Manchester.”
Vicky Foster-Lloyd, Head of Sport at The University of Manchester, added:
“The finished pitches look fantastic. Everyone who comes to see the facility is really impressed and the atmosphere when all the pitches are in use is amazing.
It has been a large, and at times, complicated project but ultimately with SIS Pitches we have achieved everything we set out to and are now the proud owners of an excellent facility that we know will add massively to the student experience and the local community for years to come.”
As well as the work at The University of Manchester, the global pitch specialists have completed work at a number of universities and schools, including:
- Hull University
- Warwick University
- Loughborough University
- Durham University
- Presentation Secondary School Thurles
- George Salter Academy
- Flixton Girls School
- Coventry Schools Foundation.
SIS Pitches is a part of a framework agreement to provide the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of artificial grass pitches. The agreement is in support of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Football Association (FA), Sport England, England Hockey and Football Foundation (FF) capital investment programmes.
Book a free consultation and webinar with SIS Pitches, the official partner of Loughborough University, today
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