WORK to improve a leisure centre in south Reading will begin next week, with the gym closing for three months.

South Reading Leisure Centre is being upgraded as part of the council’s £40 million investment in modern leisure facilities for the town.

Hot on the heels of works starting on new swimming pools at Rivermead and Palmer Park, work at South Reading begins on Monday, November 1.

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The works are expected to last for three months, during which time the gym will have to close.

Councillor Graeme Hoskin, Reading Borough Council’s (RBC), lead member for Sport, said: “I’m delighted that, alongside the work on the new leisure facilities at Rivermead and Palmer Park, improvements are starting to happen at our other centres.

“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.

“Despite the unprecedented challenges of the past year, the council and our leisure partners, GLL, remain fully committed to delivering the modern leisure facilities a town of our size and status deserves.”

Users of the centre can look forward to:

  • A new gym area
  • New gym equipment
  • Gym changing room refurbishments
  • Class studio redecoration and improvements
  • New air conditioning
  • A new reception

The gym will need to close during the week to allow for the development works to be carried out safely and securely.

Gym users will be able to access alternative fitness facilities at the Rivermead, Palmer Park, and Meadway leisure centres during this period.

Disruption to users of the sports hall and the swimming pool will be kept to a minimum, with both facilities available throughout the duration of the work.

However, improvements to swimming pool changing rooms will take place over the October half term.

The pool will still be in use and alternative showers and changing facilities will be available.

Improvement works are also planned at Meadway Leisure Centre in west Reading, starting in the new year.

South Reading, Meadway, Rivermead and Palmer Park are all run by Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) – AKA Better – on behalf of Reading Borough Council.

Paul Shearman, GLL’s partnership manager for Reading said: “The improvement work at South Reading Leisure Centre is great news for local people.

“The benefits these updated facilities will offer the local community are invaluable.”

READ MORE: Palmer Park Reading swimming pool construction begins

New pools and leisure centres are currently being built at Rivermead and Palmer Park, with work starting on the east Reading site earlier this month and at the Richfield Avenue site in August.

The creation of the new facilities has been delayed several times, with the new leisure centres currently set to be open by spring 2023.

Reading residents have been waiting for new swimming pools since the closure of Arthur Hill and Central Pool in 2016 and 2018, with a temporary pool at Rivermead currently the only replacement.