Labour council upgrading leisure facilities ready for reopening

25th March, 2021

Go Active visitors can look forward to a number of noticeable upgrades made in St Helens Borough Council-run leisure centres when further restrictions are lifted over the coming weeks.

According to the Prime Minister’s roadmap to recovery, venues like gyms and leisure centres will be allowed to reopen from Monday 12 April, if the coronavirus vaccine deployment programme continues successfully, and infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.

During the past 12 months while its leisure facilities have been closed for large periods of time, St Helens Borough Council has invested in carrying out improvements across several sites, including:

Full redecoration, new energy saving LED lighting, fully refurbished sports hall floor and renewal of gym carpet tiles at Queens Park Leisure Centre
Installation of new pool filtration system and redecoration of swimming pool hall, including new LED lighting, at Newton-le-Willows Health and Fitness
New energy saving LED sports hall lights and internal repainting works at Sutton Leisure Centre

Meanwhile, work is also progressing on the installation of a brand-new state-of-the-art 3G floodlit football pitch at Sutton Leisure Centre which is expected to be completed this summer.

The £803,728 investment – more than £677,000 of which has been covered by grant funding from the Football Foundation – will also include perimeter fencing, portable goal storage, and a floodlight system with conditions in place for nearby residents.

St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Culture and Heritage, Councillor Anthony Burns said: “Our members and visitors pay their hard-earned money to use our facilities so it’s only right their experience is to the highest possible standard.

“As a council we are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of residents which leisure and fitness centres like ours play a massive part in and have been a huge loss to so many due to the current restrictions which will hopefully come to an end soon.

“On returning to our sites, visitors can spend their leisure time exercising and doing the things they enjoy in safe, quality environments.”

To find out how to become a Go Active member, visit: https://goactive.sthelens.gov.uk/