South Reading Leisure Centre gym to close as works begin

The building's sports hall and swimming pool will be made available during the works

A gym is to close for three months as major improvement works take place.

South Reading Leisure Centre is being upgraded as part of a £40m investment into the town's leisure facilities, including new swimming pools at Rivermead and Palmer Park.

Refurbishments at the leisure centre, which begin on Monday, include a new gym area, equipment, reception, and air conditioning.

Works at Meadway Leisure Centre in west Reading start in the new year.

The leisure centres aim to open by spring 2023, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Tangible evidence'

Graeme Hoskin, Reading Borough Council's lead member for sport, said: "It is exciting times to see these improvements and the building of our new pools and leisure centre progressing.

"This continues to provide residents with tangible evidence of our commitment to delivering the new facilities."

He added that despite the "unprecedented challenges of the past year", Reading would have the "modern leisure facilities a town of our size and status deserves".

Reading has previously lost swimming pool facilities such as Arthur Hill in 2016, and Central Pool in 2018.

Alternative fitness facilities will be made available at the Rivermead, Palmer Park, and Meadway leisure centres during the closure of the South Reading gym.

The building's sports hall and swimming pool will be made available during the works.

Paul Shearman, partnership manager at Greenwich Leisure Ltd, which runs the centres, said it was "great news for local people".

"The benefits these updated facilities will offer the local community are invaluable," he added.