Three of north Norfolk’s council-owned gyms are set to reopen on Saturday, but two popular pools will remain closed.
Gyms and group exercise studios at Sheringham’s Splash, Fakenham Sports and Fitness Centre and Victory Swim and Fitness Centre in North Walsham will reopen their doors on the first day they are allowed to do so, as the pandemic lockdown restrictions are eased.
But no date has yet been set for the reopening of the pools at Splash and Victory, or the sports centres Everyone Active runs for the council at Cromer, Stalham and North Walsham.
The centres, which are owned by North Norfolk District Council and run by Everyone Active, have been shut for almost four months.
MORE: ‘It’s been the heartbeat since 1978’ - sadness as leisure centre closes indoor bowls clubEveryone Active contract manager Stuart Jardine said: “Giving people the opportunity to resume activity and exercise in their leisure centre will go a long way to maintaining the good health of local communities.
“We’ve been overwhelmed with the support we have received from customers during these unprecedented times, and we’re so grateful. Like many other industries, leisure has been greatly affected by the lockdown.”
Splash’s pool had to close before the lockdown because the building was damaged when a roof panel blew off during Storm Ciara in February.
The damage has now been fixed.
Virginia Gay, the council’s culture and wellbeing cabinet member, said she was pleased to see the leisure centres start to reopen.
She said: “It is important that our communities have safe access to high quality fitness facilities and I am so pleased that Everyone Active have been able to make all of the necessary arrangements to ensure they can be opened safely as soon as they have been allowed to do so.
“I know that a huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to ensure that is the case.”
Visitor numbers will be limited and the gyms will have one-way systems to make social distancing easier. Some of the gyms’ fitness machines have been moved to other parts of the centres - sports halls and studios - to avoid members being congregated in one area.
Visitors need to book online before going to the gym for a 50-minute slot, to allow 10 minutes for cleaning at the end of each hour.
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