£240k fitness centre revamp

Fitness fanatics will benefit from thousands of pounds being ploughed into Penkridge Leisure Centre over the coming months.

Penkridge's fitness suite will soon undergo a £200,000 revamp, while work to give the pool and changing rooms a facelift worth around £40,000 is ongoing and the facility set to re-open by the end of May. South Staffordshire District Council's leisure boss, Tony Ward said they were aiming to have an official opening of all the updated facilities on June 27.

The planned major refurbishment of the fitness suite includes replacing the equipment with new treadmills, row-machines and other exercise machines, knocking-through the one wall to provide extra space and a lift for disability access.

The pool is undergoing a facelift with the surface tiles being replaced with a new coating, the changing rooms being revamped with the new female changing rooms being fitted with disabled adaptations including a ramp and a railing into the showers.

The £40,000-project is a joint venture by South Staffordshire District Council and Wolgarston High School, which both use the pool. Council leisure boss, Tony Ward said they were aiming to re-open the pool by May 25.

Over the next month, the toning suite is also set to be redecorated and have six new beds.

Mr Ward said: "We're hoping the new beds and the refurbished facilities will attract more people of all fitness levels to the centre. The school also use the facilities and will benefit. These beds are popular for people who don't want to or can't work out very hard."

Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre is also set to benefit from a £35,000 revamp to its Spin Room. The money will come to the centre as part of S106 agreement on development of the Britool site, in Walsall Road, Great Wyrley.