New Wokingham leisure centre secures executive backing

Plans for a new leisure centre in Woodley to replace the outdated Bulmershe Leisure Centre have been backed by Wokingham Borough Council’s executive.The decision paves the way for a new centre featuring a sports hall, a 25m six lane swimming pool, a 75 station gym, two studios, a teaching pool with movable floor, and a café.The leisure centre underwent some cosmetic refurbishment, incorporating new facilities and equipment in 2014, thanks to investments from the borough council and 1-Life. But at that time the council promised to look at future plans to sustain and improve the centre further.The centre was built in the 1970s and its facilities are tired and in need of investment to bring it up to a better standard to help the council support its vision ‘to create a great place to live, an even better place to do business’ and the borough-wide health and wellbeing strategy.The future of the leisure centre was put to public consultation in 2016, where the council looked into the appetite for a partial or full closure of the centre to allow it to be rebuilt or refurbished, as well as exploring the usage of the facilities, and how numbers could be improved.These proposals are subject to planning permission.