Vale Of Glamorgan Council Could Invest Nearly £2 Million In Leisure Centres
THE Vale of Glamorgan Council will invest nearly £2 million to upgrade leisure centre facilities, if plans are approved.
Proposals to be considered at an upcoming Council meeting suggest spending close to that sum to improve both Penarth and Barry leisure centres.
If they are given the go ahead, the swimming pool changing rooms at both locations will be completely refurbished, with the sports changing areas at Penarth Leisure Centre in line for similar treatment.
The Barry sports hall floor will also be replaced.
Work on the changing rooms involves retiling as well as the installation of new showers, toilets and lockers.
Unisex changing cubicles will be installed in the swimming pool changing areas, though there will still be some male and female segregation.
The cubicles could also be used exclusively by one sex for activities like the popular women-only sessions in Barry.
As well as new fixtures and fittings, energy-saving technology will be introduced to the changing rooms.
At Barry Leisure Centre, the sports changing facilities opened in 1998 and were refurbished four years ago so do not need upgrading.
But the sports hall floor is worn in places so a new surface will be laid.
To minimise disruption to the public, work on the two changing areas at Penarth will be carried out separately so the centre can remain open as normal.
Work to the Barry swimming pool changing rooms will be done in phases to ensure the pool does not need to close for it to be completed.
Replacing the sports hall floor will require closing the facility for a short period, but some work will be carried out at night to make sure this is for as short a period as possible.
If plans are given the green light, it is hoped work can commence before the end of the year.
The estimated cost of improving the swimming pool changing rooms is £640,000 at Barry and £726,000 in Penarth.
Refurbishing Penarth’s sports changing area in expected to cost around £296,000 and the sports hall floor at Barry £200,000.
With £50,000 set aside as a contingency sum, the Council could commit a total of £1,912,000 to the project.
Cllr Gwyn John, Cabinet Member for Visible, Leisure and Regulatory Services said: “During recent customer surveys, the condition of the swimming pool changing areas at both Penarth and Barry was highlighted as a key reason why people do not use the centres more.
“The Council has listened to this feedback and could commit a significant sum to carry out major improvement work at the two leisure centres.
“It is hoped this will encourage more people to use the facilities and so increase the numbers taking part in physical activity, promoting the concept of healthy living throughout the Vale.”
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