Horsham area leisure centres reveal reopening date

Four Horsham area leisure centres have revealed their reopening date.
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Pavilions in the Park, Billingshurst Leisure Centre, Steyning Leisure Centre and The Bridge in Broadbridge Heath announced this morning, July 31, that they would reopen next month.

Horsham District Council said the move followed weeks of detailed negotiations.

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A spokesman for Places for People Leisure said: “We’re so excited to be able tell you that we finally have a date! We can’t wait to see you again on the August 17!

Horsham's Pavilions in the Park Leisure CentreHorsham's Pavilions in the Park Leisure Centre
Horsham's Pavilions in the Park Leisure Centre

“We will be in touch with members very shortly about membership, payments, and new access and safety measures we have put in place at the centre.”

All sessions will need to be pre-booked, he added.

The spokesman said: “Members will be able to book for sessions 14 days in advance.”

The council said there will be new measures including signage, extra cleaning and hand sanitising to keep customers and staff safe.

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Deputy Leader and cabinet member for leisure and culture, cllr Jonathan Chowen, said: “We believe that the health and well-bring of our residents is of great importance and that is why Horsham District Council has over many years invested significant sums in state-of-the-art leisure facilities and has a well-earned reputation for the range and quality we offer.

“We have worked hard to get our leisure centres open as soon we could, ensuring that all the precautions to do this safely are in place but being mindful of the costs to the Council at a time when there are huge pressures on its finances. I am delighted that we now have a date when we can welcome residents back into our leisure facilities.”

The pandemic has had a significant detrimental impact on leisure centre contract finances, Mr Chowen added.

He said: “As we go forward we do not know how the long all the additional safety measures will need to be in place.

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“I believe that we have secured the best value possible for the public through our negotiations with Places Leisure in order to get the centres open again.

“However, there are substantial sums involved and we live in unprecedented times where we have no certainty of how long it will be before the centres can return to anything like their previous levels of activity. I very much hope that we can reach a point where we have long term certainty but given the situation, over the coming months it will be important that we undertake regular reviews to look at both the usage and the cost to the Council of providing all services including leisure facilities.”

Steve Warriner, area manager for Places Leisure, said the firm is delighted to soon welcome customers back.

He added: “We have been working hard with Horsham District Council to make sure that we are able to welcome customers back safely and as quickly as possible.

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“The Places Leisure team will have a busy couple of weeks ahead getting the centres ready for everyone to return, including putting in place enhanced cleaning regimes and social distancing measures, but this is great news.

“I know lots of you are keen to get back to the facilities, particularly as it is more important now than ever before that we all keep fit and well.”

Customer FAQs and a list of opening times and available activities can be found on the Horsham page on the Places Leisure website.