The Hub, Foulston Park

Project

The Hub, Foulston Park

Location

Plymouth

Client

Argyle Community Trust

Contract

£4.1m

Duration

60 weeks

Project Description

The Hub at Foulston Park is a transformative community regeneration project in Devonport, delivered through the redevelopment of a declining early-2000s leisure facility into a modern, inclusive wellbeing and community campus. Led by Argyle Community Trust in partnership with Plymouth Argyle F.C., Plymouth City Council and other local stakeholders, the project reimagines a previously underperforming sports centre as a vibrant social infrastructure asset designed to tackle health inequalities, social isolation and economic disadvantage.

The finished development provides a fully integrated community hub designed to serve people across all life stages. Key spaces include a multi-purpose activities hall hosting sports sessions and community programmes; a modern fitness gym offering affordable access to exercise; education classrooms delivering accredited learning and alternative provision; and an employment and skills hub supporting digital inclusion, training and job-seeking guidance.

Complementing these core facilities are wellbeing spaces delivering health interventions such as NHS health checks and smoking cessation services, alongside specialist programmes supporting veterans, neurodiverse individuals and vulnerable young people. Family-focused amenities include a soft-play zone, sensory space and welcoming community café that encourages social interaction and reduces isolation. An innovative eSports arena promotes digital engagement and STEM skills among young people.

Since opening, the Hub has delivered more than 16,000 hours of community provision and built a growing membership base across all age groups. By combining sport, health, education and social support under one roof, the project functions as a catalyst for community renewal—creating opportunities, improving wellbeing and restoring civic pride in a neighbourhood that had long lacked accessible, high-quality facilities.

“The company understood the community impact of the site and have helped produce a facility that is helping the Devonport Community.” – Mark Lovell, CEO, Argyle Community Trust

The project adopted a fabric-first refurbishment strategy, retaining the majority of the existing building structure rather than demolishing and rebuilding. This decision delivered significant embodied carbon savings. Further environmental improvements were achieved through design optimisation and resource efficiency. Structural redesign of the mezzanine floor enabled the reuse of existing masonry elements for support, eliminating additional concrete works and reducing high-carbon material demand.

Operational sustainability has been enhanced through improved thermal performance, upgraded building fabric and high-performance glazing systems that reduce energy demand while improving occupant comfort. Efficient building services and modern mechanical systems ensure the facility operates more sustainably than its predecessor.

The project is a flagship for realistic, sustainable, inclusive, community-centred regeneration in the South West, and was recognised in the following awards:

• ‘Regeneration Project of the Year’ – Michelmores Property Awards 2026
• ‘Leisure and Tourism Project of the Year’ – Michelmores Property Awards 2026
• ‘Social Impact Award’ – Constructing Excellence South West Awards 2026