Date set for opening of new multi-million pound facilities at Warwick leisure centre

The new facilities at the St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre in Warwick are set to be open to the public later this month.
St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre in Warwick.St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre in Warwick.
St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre in Warwick.

Warwick District Council has invested £14.5 million into the redevelopment of the leisure centres at St Nicholas Park and Newbold Comyn in Leamington. The project also received an extra £2 million from Sport England.

There have been criticisms that the council has gone way over the original budget - but the executive councillors believe it will be worth it.

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Everyone Active has been appointed to manage the leisure facilities across the district in June.

The new facilities at St Nicholas Park lesiure centre will be opening soon.The new facilities at St Nicholas Park lesiure centre will be opening soon.
The new facilities at St Nicholas Park lesiure centre will be opening soon.

Work at St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre started in January 2017 and construction company Speller Metcalfe have been doing the work.

Phase one of the project, which focused on refurbishing changing areas and the swimming pool, was completed in September, which was ahead of schedule.

Phase two work, which is currently taking place at the centre, will see new studios, a new fitness suite and reception area. It is now nearing completion and is set to open to the public on March 24.

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The extensively refurbished and extended fitness suite will have 80 workout stations, which is almost triple the size of the existing gym.

Preview of the newly refurbished leisure centre. NNL-180313-211328009Preview of the newly refurbished leisure centre. NNL-180313-211328009
Preview of the newly refurbished leisure centre. NNL-180313-211328009

There will also be two group exercise studios which will host 26 classes a week including yoga, boxercise, circuits and aerobics.

An official opening event of the revamped leisure centre will take place on April 21 and members of the public are invited to go along. An Olympian, who is yet to be named, is also due to appear at the event.

Cllr Michael Coker, Warwick District Council’s portfolio holder for culture, said: “I’m delighted to see our ambitious leisure redevelopment plans being realised, and very much hope that local people will come along and try out the wonderful new facilities now available to them in Warwick.”

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Toni Gaskins, area contract manager for Everyone Active, said: “We are really excited to unveil the much-anticipated fitness suite and group exercise studios at St Nicholas Park Leisure Centre to the public. The fitness suite will offer an extensive range of equipment that will support everyone’s fitness needs and there will be 15 additional classes held each week in the new group exercise studios.

The current gym facilties at the lesiure centre.The current gym facilties at the lesiure centre.
The current gym facilties at the lesiure centre.

“I would encourage everyone in the local community to visit the revamped centre on Saturday, March 24 to see first-hand the fantastic range of facilities on offer to the public.”

Once phase two had been completed there will be a number of jobs that will still need to be done but the leisure centre will be open.

Padraig Herlihy, from Warwick District Council’s cultural services department, said: “The first phase is open and doing extremely well. We are really excited to be opening the second phase that will see an 80 station gym, exercise studios and a brand new reception and cafe area.

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“The building has been here many years and needed refurbishment and what we have ended up with here is a facility that is as good as any other in the country.

The newly refurbished swimming pool, which reopened in September.The newly refurbished swimming pool, which reopened in September.
The newly refurbished swimming pool, which reopened in September.

Tim Burt from Speller Metcalfe said: “The work has all gone pretty well. We had some challenges but we have managed to overcome them and we are nearly done now. I would like to thank the residents for their patience as this work has been right on their doorstep but we are nearly fully through so they can look forward to a quiet summer.”

Jon Senior, regional director at Everyone Active, said: “We have been here for just over 12 months and this leisure centre is to be the first of the two centres that will be finished. We are excited to get the centre open. The facilities needed improvements.

“The right improvements have been done and the finished article will be well worth waiting for.”

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Des O’Neill, group managing director at Speller Metcalfe, said: “We are really pleased with the end result. Everyone involved had worked extremely hard on this project to create a more modernised leisure centre that has been redesigned to run services more effectively and effectively.”

Work is currently being done at Newbold Comyn leisure centre. Phase two of the project is currently underway, which will see new changing rooms, a four court sports hall, a ‘clip n climb’ climbing wall, new food and beverage areas and a new reception.

The centre is expected to open later in the year.