Gyms and leisure centres to reopen from 25 July
Gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres are to reopen from the 25th July in plans announced today (9 July) by government.
Outside pools, such as Charlton Lido, will be able to open in two days time (11 July).
Social distancing and cleaning guidelines will be in place.
In south east London this will be one to watch. The council services in Greenwich operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited – and branded as Better – were seeing serious difficulties in recent years even before current problems according to a council report in January.
Then in February a pipe fell from the ceiling at Woolwich Waterfront causing the pool to be closed until summer. We await to see if work was carried out in recent months.
Currently staff costs are being met though furlough, but what happens when that ends?
When libraries in the borough recently opened Plumstead remained closed despite a new centre opening earlier in 2020. I’m told staff shortages even before lockdown were in evidence. The Centre went over budget by 48 % to £16.6 million.
Hopefully finances are sufficient to keep leisure centres and related libraries going. Greenwich has seen fewer library closures and cuts over the past decade than neighbouring Bexley and Lewisham. Only Kidbrooke lost its library though there are plans to move Coldharbour.
The irony that more people found time to run and get a grip with their health in a way only a few could appreciate beforehand. Better should capitalise on this – bite the bullet and cut their prices to something manageable. Loyalty is the way to go now – low prices will bring people in but keeping them requires a skill and willingness to adapt that seems to have eluded them. I hope that they will resist the urge to raise prices, though they may claim its necessary to recover losses or pay for the new measures.
I agree Charles i hope they do not raise prices and agree loyalty is the way to go.
I also hope that during lockdown the Waterfront Leisure Centre has had a good deep clean as they were seeing a high number of complaints around the cleanliness of the leisure centre prior to lockdown which were justified.to be fair.
As the leisure centre was dirty and in a state of disrepair which the pipe falling down in the main pool area went on to confirm.
What will be the opening times and conditions for the opening of swimming pools.
Isn’t the waterfront leisure centre less than a year or two from being demolished and moved to Gordon Square?
Any updates on what exactly will go in its place given the Berkeley Homes site plans seem to stop just outside it?