Reading: Rivermead Leisure Centre swimming pools to open in summer

Rivermead Leisure Centre opened to the public in July

Work has started to fill two new swimming pools with water at a leisure facility.

It is expected to take 12 days to fill the pools at Rivermead Leisure Centre in Reading, Berkshire, with about 1,700,000 litres of water.

Its gym, studios and soft play area were opened in July 2023.

The 25m main pool, the teaching and diving pool and the new splash pad will be ready for use in the summer, Reading Borough Council said.

The pool has two spectator seating areas able to seat over 250 people

It it part of the authority's £40m investment in leisure facilities.

While owned by the council, the leisure centre is run by Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) under the brand name Better.

The eight-lane swimming pool has a partially-movable floor from poolside level to 1.8m (5.9ft) deep, making it adaptable for range of activities including rehabilitation exercises and water aerobics.

The second pool, which will be used for teaching, has a dive tower and a springboard.

Other parts of the leisure centre are already in use, including the gym

An accessible toilet area with a hoist, known as a Changing Places room, will also be available to pool-users.

Adele Barnett-Ward, in charge of leisure and culture at Reading Borough Council, said she was looking forward to getting the pools open to the public.

"These two new pools are part of our commitment to ensuring that everyone in the community has access to the resources they need to lead healthy and active lives, and we haven't forgotten the fun - the splash pad is sure to become a family favourite," she added.

Children from Oxford Road Community School gathered at the centre on Thursday to watch the first litres of water flow into the eight-lane pool.

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