Work to start on Stafford Leisure Centre gym upgrade

The investment follows a survey of leisure centre members, and new additions will include boxing for fitness equipment, Life Fitness cardiovascular kit with virtual workouts and new spin bikes.

The improvement work is due to begin on Monday, August 21, when the main gym will close. During the main gym closure, some of the existing equipment will be relocated to a nearby studio and members can also use the rest of the centre’s facilities.

Stafford Leisure Centre’s manager, Sarah Lakin, said: “We want to give members more functional space, better kit, new challenges and an improved all-round gym experience. Work will be taking place from August 21 and the first phase of the improvements will be ready by Saturday, August 26.

“That will also give us the opportunity to give the gym a deep clean. All the other leisure centre facilities and classes will be available as normal.

“This work is just the first step in an ongoing programme to give our members the very best gym experience available and we will be making more changes over the coming months. In the meantime, keep an eye out for offers, rewards and events to celebrate the new gym, and mark the start of a new era.”

Freedom Leisure runs the Lammascote Road site on behalf of Stafford Borough Council.

Councillor Gillian Pardesi, the council's cabinet member for leisure, said: “I’m pleased to hear about the investment going into Stafford Leisure Centre – it’s important the leisure sector listens to their customers and it is good to see improvements being made based on feedback from the users of the centre.”

Councillor Pardesi also presented the latest annual report from Freedom Leisure to fellow cabinet members at their August meeting. The document details how leisure and cultural services have performed between April 2022 and March 2023, when they faced challenges such as soaring energy costs.

The period also saw the return of a number of major borough events following the Covid-19 pandemic, such as the annual Shakespeare festival and Stafford 10k run. Councillor Pardesi said all events had seen more people take part, apart from the Stafford 10K run, which had 27 per cent fewer runners, and the Stafford Half Marathon, in which 15 per cent fewer people took part than previously.

She added: “Stafford Borough Council is working closely with Freedom Leisure to explore alternative efficient options with regards to energy consumption and de-carbonisation. Later on in the year, there will be a report on support for Freedom Leisure in the wider context of the contract, general performance of the contract, investment and a strategy for improvement.”

Councillor Ant Reid, cabinet member for economic development and planning, said: “It’s really good news that in the borough we are repeating the Space events happening in Westbridge Park and Stafford this year and next year as well. It’s a really good use of public funds to promote activities and good that we’ve still got it in these trying times.”