Consultations Announced For Belfast Leisure Centre Redevelopment Plans

Consultation events have been announced by Belfast City Council on proposed designs for a number of leisure centre transformations across Belfast.

The council is to invest £105 million in a Leisure Transformation Programme (LTP), to be developed over the next 10 years. The council said that it was "building on the success of their relationship with GLL under the Better brand".

The programme aims to ensure that everyone in the city is able to enjoy the many benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle, one of the key priorities in the council's Belfast Agenda.

With the opening of Girdwood Community Hub earlier in the year and a brand new leisure centre at Olympia due to open by early 2017, delivery is well on target, the council said.

The next phase is now focusing on transforming Andersonstown Leisure Centre, Brook Activity Centre and Robinson Centre through an investment of approximately £60 million.

Andersonstown Leisure Centre will provide water based family fun. Brook Activity Centre will become an Outdoor Centre of Excellence for Gaelic games and soccer. And the Robinson Centre will be transformed into an Aquatic Centre of Excellence, focusing on competitive gala swimming and diving. Each of the centres will also offer a range of dry leisure facilities, such as a fitness suite, sports hall and exercise studios.

Councillor John Hussey, Chairperson of Belfast City Council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee said: "The Council is making its largest ever investment in leisure provision. The aim is to help create an active Belfast by providing quality leisure services to our citizens. This is the latest stage in that process. 

"I encourage everyone to come along to these consultation sessions and have their say on how leisure provision in Belfast is going to look for the coming decades. "

Dates, times and venues of the consultation sessions are available on the Belfast City Council website. Those who aren't able to attend the sessions are encouraged to share their feedback by completing a brief online survey or emailing their feedback to leisuretransformation@belfastcity.gov.uk by the deadline of midnight, Sunday 16 October.

(MH)