Leisure centre expected to undergo £2.7m modernisation

A leisure centre and outdoor swimming pool is expected to have £2.7m spent on modernising it.

Stroud District Council is considering setting up a five-year repair budget for the site in Stratford Road, Stroud.

The proposals include repairing brickwork, roofing, decoration, doors and flooring, as well as upgrading the air conditioning system, lighting and external toilet block.

Councillor Beki Aldam said: "It's all part of a plan to show a bit of love to the lido and Stratford Park Leisure Centre."

There are also plans to repair the lido tank and replace its pre-World War Two plant, as well as refurbishing the fixtures and fittings.

Stroud District Council wants to install metering to understand the operational costs of the lido too, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

All of these works would be carried out in the first year, with an estimated cost of almost £1.3m.

As preventative maintenance, the council plans to spend hundreds of thousands on the leisure centre's building fabric and mechanical and electrical features for the following four years.

Stratford Park first opened to the public in 1935, and the lido - which is the only heated pool in the district, opened the following year.

The leisure centre was built and opened in 1975.

Stroud District Council has owned Stratford Park since it opened, while the sport and leisure service has been managed by different private operators and contractors since 1992.

Last year, the council took over the management of the leisure centre.

They say it is an ageing facility, and modernisation will be carried out with the aim of making a change to the income at the centre.

The community services and licensing committee agreed to recommend the investment to the strategy and resources committee to consider and then further recommend to the council, which is expected to consider the proposals next month.

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