A POPULAR Leicester sports centre will reopen to the public on Monday (21 September) after an £800,000 revamp.
Customers returning to the Cossington Street sports centre for the first time since lockdown will discover a brand new 50-station gym, a new dance/group exercise studio and a refurbished changing area.
The centre’s refurbishment has also created plenty of space for community use, providing a place for local people to come together, when social distancing rules are finally lifted.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby and Deputy City Mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair will formally reopen the centre on Monday (21 September).
“As many councils around the country are taking the decision to close or privatise their leisure centres, I’m very proud to be investing in ours,” said City Mayor Peter Soulsby.
“Helping people to get more active and to improve their fitness levels has never been more important, and I’m sure these new, improved facilities will be much appreciated by people in the area.
“People in Belgrave have been swimming at Cossington Street since 1897, but this new investment has created state-of-the-art fitness facilities that are fit for the 21st century.”
The revamped gym area and Cossington Street’s 30m pool will reopen on Monday (21 September). The sauna, however, remains closed until further notice.
The pools at Braunstone, Evington and Spence Street will also reopen on Monday, with lessons and courses re-starting in October.
New systems are in place at all city council leisure centres to help keep customers and staff safe, with all sessions requiring pre-booking.
Hour-long sessions in the gym must be booked in advance, with each workout restricted to 50 minutes to allow time for changeover.
Sessions in the pool must also be booked in advance, with each swim restricted to 45 minutes.
Anyone wanting to book a session at a city council leisure centre must be an Active Leicester member. Active Leicester card-holders can use the facilities on a pay-as-you-go basis, or can sign up for a competitively priced membership scheme.
The refurbishment of Cossington Street sports centre is part of the council’s £2.9m programme of capital investment, which is also revamping Aylestone and Evington leisure centres.
When Aylestone Leisure Centre reopens in October, customers will be able to enjoy a brand new gym. The refurbishment of Evington Leisure Centre, where the existing gym will almost double in size and a new studio for dance and group exercise will be created, is due to get under way in mid October and will take around seven months to complete.