Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport and one of Britain’s most decorated female Olympians of all time and the first British woman to win medals at five successive Olympic Games, has officially opened SportPark Pavilion 4 on Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP). 

On Thursday 26 October, more than 80 guests including senior representatives from across the sports sector, national and regional economic development partners, the University community, and project team gathered to celebrate the opening of the £9m expansion of SportPark. 

SportPark Pavilion 4 is Loughborough University’s first Passivhaus development which is widely regarded as the most challenging energy efficiency and comfort standards in the world. It was designed by David Morley Architects, the original architects of SportPark which opened in 2010, and built by Henry Brothers Construction. It is also one of only five certified Passivhaus commercial buildings in the UK. 

Andy Reed OBE, Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership chair said: “Funding support for SportPark Pavilion 4 has helped to deliver a superb building that is also highly sustainable – a key pillar of the regional economic growth strategy. 
 
“The investment has created jobs and brought further leading sports organisations to base themselves here in Loughborough, adding to its reputation for collaboration and innovation.” 

Dr Nik Kotecha, Chair of Loughborough Town Deal said: “ …..” 

SportPark Pavilion 4 is delivered by the LLEP as part of the Getting Building Fund. Funds were designated for investment in local, shovel-ready infrastructure projects to stimulate jobs and support economic recovery across the country. The LLEP was allocated £20m, supporting the SportPark expansion with £6m.  

Further funding has been provided through the University’s Healthy and Innovative Loughborough project which received £2.5m from the Government’s Towns Fund via Loughborough Town Deal. The project aims to build on the town’s reputation for sporting excellence and harness that knowledge for the good of residents. The Town Deal is backing 11 projects worth over £40million of investment to Loughborough.