Mill House Leisure Centre to re-open

The Council-run facility will initially be available for public lane swimming sessions and for club training – both of which will be run at separate times. Places must be booked in advance.

It will be open Mondays to Fridays 6.30am to 8.30pm and Saturdays and Sundays 8am to 3.30pm.

The re-opening had been scheduled for last month but had to be postponed following the discovery of collapsed drainage pipes beneath the swimming pool, which have now been repaired by a specialist contractor.

Ian Gardiner, the Council’s Head of Leisure, Recreation and Participation, said: “We are delighted that we are now able to re-open Mill House Leisure Centre and we are looking forward to welcoming back our many loyal customers and hopefully some new ones too.

“The wellbeing of our customers and staff is our top priority and a lot of work has gone into preparing all our leisure facilities for re-opening so that people can feel confident and safe when they come through our doors.”

People making the comeback to exercise can find out more about the work carried out by the Council to keep customers and staff safe and access a wide range of information about the facilities currently available – including a new timetable for indoor fitness classes at the Headland and Brierton sports centres – at www.gethartlepoolactive.co.uk/covid-19-info - the Frequently Asked Questions section includes full details of how to book.

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.

The Headland and Brierton sports centres have already re-opened, and starting from Monday 14 September the Headland Sports Centre will be extending its opening hours – it will be open Mondays to Fridays 7am to 12 noon and now also 4pm to 8pm.

Their new COVID-19 safety arrangements have received a lot of praise from customers. The comments include:

My first day back at Brierton gym this morning. I was very impressed. 100% efficient, caring staff. 100% cleanliness. 5 star! Thank you.

Staff never stopped whilst we were in. Love the set up and the place is looking spotless.

You have all done such an incredible job getting this ready. I don’t know anywhere that has thought about all of this as much as you!

Just had my first session at the gym after such a long break. Felt totally safe as staff and members constantly cleaning.

Well done to all the team for making life seem normal.

Glad to be back at Brierton. 5 star rated facilities! Clean and friendly surroundings. Staff are going above and beyond to make sure we are all safe.

Really good to be back!

Ian Gardiner added: “The greatest compliment for us is to hear that our customers are delighted with our approach to keeping them safe.

“I can assure customers that the same rigorous standards we’re applying at Brierton and the Headland will be applied at Mill House too.”