Northampton Saints training center nod

Article posted by Coliseum, May 31^st, 2022

Image: Northampton Saints

The Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints (UK) have confirmed that the West Northamptonshire Council Planning Authority have approved the club’s application for the construction of a new indoor training facility.

The ‘Northampton Saints’ stated that the ‘Northampton Saints High Performance Centre’ will be based to the South of cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton, England (UK), on a section of one of the club’s existing outdoor pitches, and will provide year-round training facilities for the playing squad.

The Northampton Saints is a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England’s top division of rugby. They were formed in 1880 as Northampton St. James, which gave them the nickname ‘Saints’ from the 1880s.

Apply for membership

The cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is a purpose-built rugby stadium in Northampton, England. It is the home stadium of Northampton Saints. The stadium holds 15,249 people. The four stands are: Carlsberg Stand, Cinch Stand, Church’s Stand, and Barwell Stand.

The ‘Northampton Saints’ further stated that the development was designed by pHp Architects and Saints have appointed Warwick Burt Construction as the Lead Contractor – with both businesses locally-based and staffed by Saints supporters. Construction will begin in late June to finish midway through the 2022-2023 seasons.

Said Mark Darbon, Chief Executive at Northampton Saints, “I am thrilled that we have now formally authorized the work to begin on our new High Performance Centre at Franklin’s Gardens. This will be a major build, the first of this scale at the club for many years. While we are already very proud of our home, we must continue to invest in our facilities to underpin our ambition to be successful at the very top of our sport and attract some of the best players in the world.”

Added Darbon, “The High Performance Centre will create a step change in the quality of the facilities available to our performance staff and the playing group – in short, all year round we will be able to train onsite, on high-quality surfaces, whatever the weather.”

He continued, “The development will also enable us to engage with the community in new ways, and help us attract new events to Franklin’s Gardens and the town of Northampton. I want to thank everyone who has been involved in getting the project to this stage, particularly the Council – who have been extremely positive throughout the process – and the teams at GSS, pHp Architects and Warwick Burt. This is an extremely exciting development for everyone at the club.”

Sitting on the Western side of Saints’ current main training pitch, the High Performance Centre will house a half-sized artificial playing surface. Upgrade work began on Saints’ other training pitch in March to create a second top-quality outdoor surface to replicate the Franklin’s Gardens stadium pitch, and complement the new facility.

The club have committed to sustainable design principles – with the building including a passive ventilation system rather than heating, upgraded glazing and thermal insulation, energy-efficient lighting, and high-quality cladding which are both durable and recyclable.

Stated Rob MacNaughton, partner at pHp Architects (and Saint #1631), “It is fantastic to be involved in the next stage of the development of the Franklin’s Gardens site. Our relationship with Saints started in the 1960s, and for me personally slightly later during my playing days in the 1990s, followed by the design of the stadium. This next phase for Saints will provide the playing squad with a fantastic training facility, enabling them to stay at the very top of their game all year round. It is a privilege for us to be involved in this project.”

Added Tony Warwick, Managing Director at Warwick Burt, “We’re absolutely delighted to be entrusted by Northampton Saints with the construction of their new High Performance Centre, and we can’t wait to get on site!”

Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.

Watch 250 member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue