Leisure centre could reopen 'within three months'

Gateshead Leisure Centre was closed in summer 2023

A leisure centre, which was shut down last year due to council budget cuts, could reopen within the next three months.

Gateshead Leisure Centre in Saltwell was closed down in July 2023 by Gateshead Council because it was considered "no longer affordable".

The local authority has agreed in principle to transfer the building to the community-led group Gateshead Active on a 50-year lease, though the deal is not yet done, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Gateshead Active said in an update on its website on Monday that it was “confident" it would "open within the next three months”.

However the group said they were unable to commit to a firm reopening date.

They had initially aimed to get the leisure centre back open before the end of 2023, but were unable to do so due to “complexities” around the transfer of the building.

A Gateshead Council spokesperson said that they were working closely with Gateshead Active to "give the leisure centre its best chance of success as a community-run facility".

"Both the council and Gateshead Active need to be confident that all requirements for a successful, sustainable reopening have been met before the transfer can be completed," they added.