Fitness fans tour new leisure centre

Teacher Chris Jones (left), Rochdale Council’s Jacqui Jacobs and Link4Life’s John Taylor (centre) join Matthew Moss pupils on a tour of Rochdale Leisure Centre

Young leisure lovers from Matthew Moss High School have been given a sneak preview of Rochdale’s new leisure centre before it opens this summer.

The group were given a guided tour of the new facility by Link4Life’s Head of Leisure and Communities, John Taylor, and learned that it will be called Rochdale Leisure Centre.

The £10.8 million development features an eight-lane 25 metre swimming pool and a 17 metre learner pool with moveable floor, sauna and steam rooms, two fitness suites, dance studios, a four-court sports hall and over 160 parking spaces for centre users.

Design Technology teacher Chris Jones said the visit was a great opportunity for the young people to ask questions about the construction and to see how buildings of this nature are designed.

“We were able to tour the gyms, swimming pools, changing rooms, steam room and reception area and ask questions as we did so. The students loved it. They can’t wait for it to open and were asking when they can come back,” he added.

Speaking about the name chosen for the new centre Councillor Peter Williams, Rochdale Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Economic Development, said: “We’ve chosen a name that is in keeping with the family of new leisure facilities across the borough. There’s no room for confusion with a name like Rochdale Leisure Centre – it does exactly what it says on the tin! It also reflects very well the pride that local people feel when taking delivery of brand new facilities of this kind.”

The centre is being built next door to the existing Central Leisure Centre on Entwisle Road. It forms part of an overall capital programme of £33.8 million agreed by Rochdale Borough Council in July 2007 following the launch of Link4Life, the borough-wide Cultural Trust and it will open in time for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Link4Life Managing Director, Craig McAteer confirmed that Rochdale Leisure Centre will be the third new centre to open in the five years since the Trust was formed, providing residents with some of the best facilities for sports and arts in the region.

“We know the huge benefits that new and modern facilities bring with greatly increased participation across all age ranges” he said. “This investment has been recognised as a national example of best practice by Sport England in terms of not only efficiencies and savings but also our on-going commitment to extending community access, particularly in this difficult economic climate.”