Staggered opening for leisure centres across the Portsmouth region

The Mountbatten Centre and the gym at the Pyramids Centre are due to open with reduced capacity and increased safety precautions on Saturday.

Portsmouth City Council hopes to release more information regarding the future of the sites next week following ongoing discussions with operator BH Live, according to Councillor Steve Pitt.

With the District Council Network projecting that council-owned leisure centres across the UK will lose £305m this year, it is ‘very odd’ that the government has not announced a rescue package, Cllr Pitt added.

He said: ‘We still need the government to come forward – we have heard next to nothing.

‘We have been lobbying at the Local Government Association level and all we have been told is that there’s discussion happening.

‘But the longer there are delays we are going to lose more and more centres.’

The call for a rescue package come after the operator of three leisure centres, all owned by a West Sussex council, went into voluntary liquidation last week.

A support package of £1.8m from Fareham Borough Council has been announced to support Holly Hill Leisure Centre and Fareham Leisure Centre, both of which are due to open on Wednesday, July 29.

Councillor Susan Bell, executive member for leisure and community, said: ‘Over the past few weeks the council has been working closely with (the leisure centres’ operator) Everyone Active, the operator of both leisure centres, to understand the level of support they need to continue to ensure leisure facilities are available for all our residents to enjoy.’

Further centres owned by borough and city councils from Havant to Winchester will remain closed this weekend, as the government allows facilities to reopen as part of the lockdown easing.

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In Whiteley, Meadowside Leisure Centre – which is owned by Winchester City Council – will open on Saturday, September 1.

Leisure company Everyone Active will act as interim operator, with residents being able to roll over their membership from previous operator Places Leisure.

Gosport Leisure Centre, in Forest Way, will remain closed until Monday, August 3, with lane swimming set to reopen on Monday, August 10.

Havant Leisure Centre and Horizon Waterlooville Leisure Centre have no date for reopening.

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