The initial stages of the regeneration of the environmental landscape of Phoenix Park has now completed! This included the beginning of the BIG clean-up of 100 acres of largely contaminated green field land. During lockdown, and whilst adhering to Covid restrictions, we set out to pick up litter, remove old tyres and rusty plant, seed the muddier areas, tarmac the road, put up fencing and new signage and begin re-landscaping in keeping with the environment. The benefits to the site were clearly visible as the site began to transform. Birdlife has always been plentiful, but it definitely took advantage of the newly laid grass seeds and planting!
Phase One
Phase one concluded in January with the submission of the first planning application to erect a brand new, Phoenix Park Hub building which will provide welfare, catering, retail and reception areas, school resources, accommodation for young people and generally improve the operation of the facility whilst benefiting the experience for all the user groups. We want the very best in terms of resources and environment for the young people who come into our care through Pioneer TEC, the residential school on the Phoenix Park site. We believe the students attending the school should have the opportunity to thrive. It is therefore our intention to provide them with both the surroundings and the tools to enable each young person to maximise their opportunities both academically and in their vocational studies. Furthermore, Ofsted has registered the existing Pioneer TEC’s school, which is great news!
The new centre will enable the school to take the next step in its evolution and offer resources and accommodation for tomorrow’s students enabling greater access to a wider variety of education in different sectors, markets and opportunities, including recycling, renewable energy and the carbon free age of the future. This brand new, modern facility will also offer additional space and components to enable the future Phoenix Park site to evolve into the very first of its kind … a virtually zero carbon leisure facility. The building is zoned for energy efficiency and the safety of students, staff and the members of the public who will utilise its facilities.
To find out more about Pioneer TEC visit www.pioneertec.co.uk.
Phase Two
The second phase is also underway with the drafting of designs for the new leisure sports park and consultation with Local Authority for a further planning application to begin the journey on the road to the regeneration and transformation of Phoenix Park. This application will include the expansion of the leisure facilities beyond the existing motocross and go-karting tracks. Development will be in keeping with the natural surroundings to maintain the ecology of the area, protect the resources and ecosystem, whilst helping to reduce both the plastic and waste pollution which collects along the banks of the River Ribble.
The application includes a new water sports centre with a cable ski lake and separate sailing lake, a dry ski slope with a mountain bike track, a climbing wall, sport and football pitches, a skateboard/scooter park and a stadium for track side viewing.
We also remain committed to wanting the very best in terms of resources and job opportunities for the young people who come into Pioneer TEC’s care. By expanding the leisure facilities at Phoenix Park, Pioneer TEC’s students will be presented with further opportunities to enhance their skills, improve their life changes and enable them to reach their potential. Phoenix Park will also offer job opportunities to the local community.
Phoenix Park’s ambition goes beyond leisure and into the realms of recycling, renewable energy and the carbon free age of the future. Pioneer TEC’s state-of-the-art facility will offer the additional space and components to enable the further evolution of the site into the very first of its kind … a virtually zero carbon leisure facility. The buildings will be zoned for energy efficiency and the safety of all who will utilise the facilities.
What will it look like?
The animation video below illustrates our vision for Phoenix Park. Whilst ambitious, to help save our environment for our children’s children, it is a necessity. We are therefore looking forward to taking up the challenge of the virtually zero carbon neutral future and taking Pioneer TEC’s students on that journey with us.
