WOKINGHAM Borough Council has announced the opening date for a new leisure centre.
The new Wokingham Leisure Centre at Carnival Hub is set to open its doors on Wednesday, June 29, nine weeks ahead of schedule. The new library space is expected to follow soon after.
Places Leisure will manage the multi-million pound sports and leisure facility
Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure, said that centre is set to become one of the borough council’s flagship leisure facilities.
“It’s been exciting seeing the plans for the Hub come together over the years,” he said.
“Wokingham Leisure Centre at Carnival Hub will offer so much more than the old pool building ever could.”
Facilities include a six-lane swimming pool with viewing gallery, a teaching pool with a moveable depth floor to help accommodate a wide range of activities and sessions and a children’s splash pad with water jets and fountains.
“Residents will be able enjoy the facilities at the Hub over the summer holidays, especially children’s splash pad zone,” Cllr Batth added.
There will be a health suite featuring an aromatic citrus steam room and detoxifying salt room, an 120 station fitness suite, an immersive group cycling studio, two further studios for classes, a four-court sports hall and a range of changing areas.
Also available will be a specialist gym for those with long term health conditions.
The library is set scheduled to open later in the summer, pending fit out and finalising arrangements for the transfer of books and equipment from the existing Denmark Street building. More than one kilometre of shelving needs to be installed, ready to hold over 55,000 library books and items.
Cllr Bill Soane, executive member for neighbourhoods and communities, said that move is an opportunity for the borough council to expand the library service
“We know residents love our libraries and we hope to tempt a new audience to come and find out what they have to offer whilst they are at the Hub,” he said.
Plans include offering computers and dedicated study areas, a children’s reading area, an exhibition area and improved meeting rooms.
The Hub will have a large café in the entrance area, and it is planned that spaces such as the sports hall and library meeting rooms can be put to cultural use.
“We wanted to make sure the Hub becomes a real community building, which is we’re also placing a focus on the cultural side of the space,” Cllr Soane explained.
“The regeneration was an opportunity to talk to local groups about how they might use the Hub.”
Professional theatre advisors worked with the borough council to enable the sports hall to be used as a performance area.
It has extending bleacher seating which can accommodate audiences of up to 400 people, along with a flexible modular stage and stage curtaining.
Membership and hire details for Wokingham Leisure Centre will be published by Places Leisure later this year.
