Leisure operator gets bailout to keep Rivermead centre open

A leisure operator is set to receive a £410,000 council bailout to keep a fitness complex going in the pandemic.

Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) runs the Rivermead Leisure Complex in Reading and was awarded a contract this year to build two new pool centres.

The non-profit company has said it now wants to wait until spring 2021 to sign the contract amid Covid-19 uncertainty.

A Reading Borough Council spokesman said the bailout would "ensure the survival of the centre".

To progress the projects, the council has also agreed to pay GLL a further £816,000 for preparation work on the new pools.

The council said: "UKactive [the leisure sector's representative body] has warned that due to the Covid-19 pandemic half of leisure centres in the country could close. We're determined that won't happen in Reading."

The new projects would see a modern new-build leisure centre and pool at the Rivermead site, which will replace the current facilities, and a new six-lane community pool at Palmer Park linked to the existing sports facilities.

Under the agreement, the council retains intellectual property rights over the design if GLL decides not to sign the contract next year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Peter Burt, who has campaigned for the reopening of the Arthur Hill Pool, called the expenditure "eyewatering", and questioned why there was no mention of keeping leisure services in-house as an alternative.