Cllr Paul Swaddle, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Community Services and Digital, said:
Due to the unprecedented reduction in centre user numbers combined with restrictions in place to support social distancing as a result of Covid-19, like many other areas across the country we are having to look at our current leisure centre provision.
In order to ensure that we can continue to provide our much-valued leisure centre services during these difficult times there will be a temporary reduction in opening hours from 1st November. However, all leisure centres will remain open and users will be able to access any of Westminster City Council’s leisure centres across the city. There will be provision seven days a week available to all who wish to use them.
We are sorry for the inconvenience caused but we have been working hard with our provider to see where changes can be made that affects the fewest number of users. Any clubs or groups that may be affected will be contacted by Everyone Active to discuss alternative temporary arrangements from today, Monday 26th October. Members representing wards that have a leisure centre have already received an update earlier today from the service too.
All leisure centres will remain open, and to compensate for these changes all memberships will be upgraded to ‘multi-site access’ from 1st November so users can visit all of Westminster City Council’s leisure centres. As a result of this multi-site access, after 1st November, there will be the opportunity to access a leisure centre in Westminster from 6.30am to 10pm (Monday to Friday) and 7am to 8.30pm (Saturday and Sunday). If a local centre is not open, there will be alternative provision close by that will be.
Westminster City Council has been able to keep all leisure centres open by agreeing a temporary funding package with Everyone Active to support them through the pandemic.
All the information regarding the changes is available to view at: westminster.gov.uk/leisure-centres-westminster
Published: 26 October 2020