Phased re-opening of leisure facilities announced

Mill House Leisure Centre, Brierton Sports Centre, the Headland Sports Centre and Summerhill Visitor Centre are all due to re-open during August to enable people to make the comeback to physical activity and a healthier lifestyle.

This builds on the announcement of a programme of outdoor fitness classes at Brierton and Summerhill which will begin on Monday July 20.

The first facility to open its doors will be Brierton Sports Centre - currently scheduled for the week commencing August 3rd – where the main sports hall has been converted into a large gym. The outdoor 3G sports pitch will also be available for booking.

Mill House Leisure Centre will follow shortly afterwards and the Headland Sports Centre and Summerhill Visitor Centre are expected to re-open by the end of the month.

Mill House Leisure Centre will initially be available for club training, although the pools will be open for both club and public recreational swimming.

Alongside Summerhill Visitor Centre, Headland Sports Centre will host fitness classes, but it will also provide space to enable activities such as badminton or table tennis to take place.

Councillor Shane Moore, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “This is a significant step forward as we continue to emerge from lockdown, and I’m pleased that we are now in a position to be able to plan for the re-opening of these key facilities.

“We strongly believe that there are no circumstances where exercise is not a good thing and we are delighted to be opening up our exercise facilities for our customers again. We look forward to welcoming them back.

“The safety of customers and staff is our top priority and a lot of work is being carried out to enable people to make the comeback with confidence.

Safety measures include:

• Staff training on COVID-19 management.
• Signage throughout buildings offering clear guidance to customers on where to go and what to do.
• New “gold standard” cleaning procedures.
• The purchase of specialist decontamination equipment to ensure that gym facilities are safe to use.
• Placing a member of staff at the entrance to facilities to welcome and guide customers.
• Restricting the number of people allowed to take part in activities and requiring them to always book in advance.

For the latest re-opening updates, details of the outdoor fitness classes at Brierton and Summerhill and information on booking an activity go to www.gethartlepoolactive.co.uk