Long Description:The centre's initial concept is described here:
("http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Geyser/9816/MOREINFO.html"
target="_blank">visit link)
'The building has been designed by Northamptonshire County
Council in consultation with the partners and the Northampton
Council for the Disabled. To be called the '8th Earl Spencer Centre
for Young People', it will be the county headquarters for the
Northamptonshire Clubs for Young People and provide office space
for its full time staff. Additional accommodation will give them
meeting and training rooms, stores and canoe storage.
The building will also be the new headquarters for the
Northampton Canoe Club giving them dedicated space for canoes,
trailers and a maintenance area. Storage space will also be
provided for the centre-owned canoes and rafts which are available
for public hire. Rowing, Orienteering, Cycling and other sports
clubs will have access to the building for meetings and training
purposes.
Further office space is allocated to the full time centre
manager and the duty managers. The building will be fitted out for
male and female changing and shower rooms with toilet facilities.
Toilet facilities for those with disabilites will be provided on
both floors. Access between floors is by stairs or specialist lift:
the first floor houses a coffee bar, lounge and meeting rooms. The
building can easily be used for hosting large events such as
national canoeing competiotions. Wrekin Construction have appointed
Mott MacDonald to carry out the detailed Engineering design, and
Rex Bryan Son and Pennock as Architects.
The site, situated on approximately 50 acres of land known as
Peaches Meadow and Barnes Meadow and owned originally by the County
and Borough Councils, is bisected by the River Nene and within 2 km
of the town centre of Northampton in England. Access to the centre
will be from the A428 Bedford Road just south of the A45 trunk
road. The site is already home of the Northampton Rowing Club. The
Nene Way long distance footpath passes through the site and the
Sustrans National Cycle Route connects the Centre directly to the
Town Centre, thus enabling easy access for walkers, cyclists and
those with disabilities.
This scheme is for EVERYONE: Not only for canoeing enthusiasts;
not only for people who have done canoeing before, but for anyone
who wishes to have fun and enjoyment on the water here in
Northampton.
The canoe course, designed by the world's leading slalom
designers, Proper Channels Ltd., and in consultation with project
partners National Rivers Authority (now the Environment Agency),
will be constructed on land above and below the existing weir to
enable the fall of water to be partially diverted through the
slalom via a manually controlled sluice gate. Additionally , three
individually controlled electric pumps will be able to pump water
from below the weir into the slalom to give a year round estimated
grade 3 white water canoe course. The design of the canoe course,
approved by the British Canoe Union, provides formal and informal
channels through five interconnected pools. The slalom can be used
with both canoes and inflatable rafts. Wrekin Construction have
appointed Mott MacDonald to carry out the detailed civil
engineering design which will allow these plans to be brought into
reality. Excavated material from the site will be used to construct
a 'spectator hill' for viewing.'
The building is named after Edward John Spencer.
Wikipedia describes this important person:
("http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spencer,_8th_Earl_Spencer"
target="_blank">visit link)
'8th Earl Spencer, MVO (24 January 1924–29 March 1992) was the
son of Albert Edward John Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer and Lady
Cynthia Elinor Beatrix Hamilton, the daughter of James Albert
Edward Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn, and the father of Diana,
Princess of Wales.'
Details of the construction of the building and slalom can be
found here:
("http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Geyser/9816/index.html"
target="_blank">visit link)