A brand-new Reading Leisure Centre is one step closer to completion after the two new pools are set to be filled over the next week.

The Flagship leisure centre, located on Richfield Avenue, opened on Monday, July 15 2023 prior to the demolition of the old leisure centre on the same site.

Due to a delay in construction, it was decided that the swimming pools and dive pool would not be opened alongside the rest of the facilities.

Following several months of construction and preparation, the final stage is taking place to ready the swimming area for the summer’s grand opening.

School children from the Oxford Road Community School alongside representatives from Reading Borough Council, Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) and Pellikaan Construction attended the event where the pool’s begun to be filled with approximately 1,700,000 litres of water ready for the completion in the coming weeks.

It will take 12 days in total for the main pool, the dive pool and the teaching pool to be filled.

Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, said: “It was wonderful to share the excitement of filling the pools with local schoolchildren. They can’t wait to try out this fantastic new facility, and of course we are also looking forward to getting the pools and splash pad open for the whole community to enjoy."

"The new Rivermead Leisure Centre represents a significant investment in Reading by the council and provides swimming pools that are both modern and fully fit for the future. 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!”

The new pools form part of the £40 million investment in the town’s leire facilities, which includes delivering improvements at South Reading Leisure Centre, Meadway Sports Centre and the revitalised Palmer Park Leisure Centre.

The new Rivermead pool facilities will include a 25m 8-lane pool, a teaching and diving pool with a 5 metre dive tower, 3 metre spring board and two one metre spring dives.

There will also be a splash pad fun zone for younger children to enjoy and state-of-the-art changing facilities.