Makeover for town's gyms

Two leisure centre gyms in Stafford Borough are to close this month as part of a £360,000 makeover.

Council bosses have announced plans to overhaul the equipment at Westbridge Park Leisure Centre, in Stone, and at Stafford Leisure Centre.

New equipment will be installed at both gymnasiums as part of the refurbishment scheme.

Both centres are to be kitted out with top-of-the-range equipment at a total cost of £300,000.

Stafford Leisure Centre gym will close for three days from Monday while the equipment is installed and work will include a redecoration of the area — just two years after the Lammascote Road centre was launched.

Members can use Westbridge Park while the work is going on.

Westbridge Park will also be getting a £60,000 refurbishment. The gym will be shut for 10 days from April 16 for the work to be carried out, although members can use Stafford Leisure Centre during that time.

Membership at Stafford Leisure Centre has more than doubled since it opened its doors two years ago.

Latest figures show the centre now has more than 2,900 members compared to around 1,400 in the old Riverside Recreation Centre.

Adam Hill, head of leisure and culture at Stafford Borough Council, said: "The number of members at Stafford Leisure Centre demonstrates how offering quality facilities is what brings people through the doors.

"But we must continue to provide this level of quality and that is why it is important for us to ensure our equipment is updated. The new equipment being installed will replace the older equipment which was transferred to the new site from the former Riverside Recreation Centre."

He added: "We expect that the work at Westbridge Park, with this brand new equipment and facelift, will attract even more members to this excellent facility."

For more information on what both leisure centres have to offer, or for membership details, go to the leisure section of the council's website at www.staffordbc.gov.uk