Council owned leisure centre set for expansion

Two Riversmeet Leisure Centre in Christchurch is preparing for a £1.8 million expansion to it’s current facilities.

The leisure centre is the only one in Christchurch operated by BCP Council.

Whilst the leisure centre has numerous facilities including 3G football pitches, squash courts, two swimming pools, a fitness suite and an indoor cycling studio, the need for purpose-built studios for exercise classes to take place as they currently are held in the squash courts and sports hall.

EMD UK, the national governing body for group exercise, found in a 2022 survey that between 4.7 and 4.8 million adults in the UK participate in weekly exercise classes, mainly around four times a week with the demographic mainly being women.

This highlights the popularity and demand for these facilities with cabinet recently stating that the expansion will allow for two purpose-built studios to be built, each one having a capacity of 30-40 people.

In addition to the Two Riversmeet expansion, a wider scheme is currently ongoing with BCP planning for expansions for all five of their leisure centres.

The report from cabinet lists two possible avenues, the first option is to approve the expansion with the recommendation that cabinet request that BCP Council approve the construction of a two-storey facility which will contain two new purpose-built multi-use studios costing 1.8m.

The council will then discuss the expansion with the DIC (Director of Commercial Operations) and later take into account the possible financial and legal consequences of such an expansion.

The second option is to not go forward with the expansion, leading to public disapproval and financial implications due to a decrease in memberships at the leisure centre.

The members of the leisure centre have also opted to recommend to the audit and governance committee that there should be an increase to the 1.8m borrowing limit, enabling the expansion to be fully covered financially.

Christchurch-based BCP councillor Michael Darling was asked to comment on the expansion but refused.

Cabinet are set to debate and discuss the plans on January 14 prior to the plans going to the audit and governance committee on January 15.