Shut Lincoln leisure centres to reopen from Thursday after refit

Two Lincoln leisure centres that shut when the charity operating them ceased buying and selling are to reopen.

The Birchwood and Yarborough centres closed on 3 April after Active Nation stopped working.

Both websites have undergone upgrades and their out of doors services have been working since April, City of Lincoln Council has mentioned.

Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) has been appointed as the brand new operator of each websites on an interim two-year contract.

Birchwood will open on Thursday and Yarborough will begin a phased opening on the identical day.

The authority hopes Yarborough will probably be totally opened by 14 August.

Council chief Naomi Tweddle mentioned work to reopen the centres had been “a huge effort by all involved”.

“From day one, our focus has been on protecting leisure in Lincoln and reopening the centres sustainably and to the highest possible standard,” she mentioned.

“We know how important these spaces are to the residents of Lincoln, not just as places to stay active, but as hubs of community life.

At the time of the leisure centre closures, Active Nation, a charity based in Warwickshire, blamed “the continuing utility disaster and the challenges it has created” for the decision to cease trading.

GLL is a charitable social enterprise business and runs 253 public sport and leisure centres across the UK, the council said.

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