WESTBURY Swimming Pool and Leighton Recreation Centre will reopen next month on Monday 7th September.
In line with government and industry guidelines, the gym, group classes and the swimming pool and swimming lessons for children will be available.
Westbury Swimming Pool and Leighton Recreation Centre have been closed for almost five months.
Indoor gyms, sports facilities and pools were given the go-ahead by the government to reopen on 25th July – but Wiltshire Council and Places Leisure announced a phased opening of leisure centres across the county.
Members will be required to book sessions (gym, classes and swim) in advance via the Places Locker app or website – lane swimming sessions will be 45 minutes long, with 20 places available; and gym sessions will be one hour long, with 10 places available.
The centre will contact all parents prior to children’s swimming lessons restarting with further details.
Places Leisure, who have the contract with Wiltshire Council to manage the facility said, “Although it’s a little different from simply turning up, it is the best way for you to plan and know with certainty that a place is available. It means we can control the footfall in key areas as well as the centre as a whole; we have large centres so this is a key feature of maintaining social distancing. Plus, it saves our teams handling cash.
“Please book all sessions in advance. If you arrive at the centre without pre-booking, you may not be able to enter and take part in your activity. If a space is available, we will allow you to book a slot. If you’re having difficulty booking online, please contact your local centre.
“You can view timetables and book sessions 14 days in advance of the centre re-opening. Please note that you will only be able to take part in the activity in the centre that you have pre-booked. After your session has ended, we ask that you leave the centre to ensure our total visitor count remains safe.”
Places Leisure has also introduced a number of ‘cleanliness and social distancing’ procedures to keep staff and customers safe and prevent the spread of Covid-19. Facilities will be cleaned between each session, plastic screens have been set up in reception, and sanitising spray and wipes will be provided around the centre for use on equipment and lockers.
Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for leisure said, “Our teams have worked hard to put the arrangements in place to be able to provide leisure services again during the pandemic. This is a new way of providing services, and we ask people to bear with us while we reopen in a careful and phased way.
“We have closely followed government advice to ensure that when each centre opens it’s as safe as possible for our staff and customers. Our friendly and attentive staff are eager to welcome people back and as time goes on we hope we can introduce more services for all to enjoy.
“For those that have to wait a little longer for us to reopen, we appreciate your patience and hope you understand that this approach takes into account our current resources and financial pressures. Our focus is on ensuring the safety of every individual at our centres and reopening in this phased way is the right way to do it.”
For more information about the reopening of Westbury Swimming Pool and Leighton Recreation Centre, visit the website: www.placesleisure.org/reopening/faqs
