Walsall leisure centre is ready to make a splash
These pictures give the first glimpse inside the new Oak Park leisure centre ahead of its grand opening next week.
With the eagerly awaited opening of the centre, as well as the Bloxwich Active Living Centre the Express & Star was given a sneak preview of the new facility in Walsall Wood.
Visitors to the Lichfield Road site, which is the busiest run by Walsall Council, will soon be able to make use of each of the 25 metre swimming pools, teaching pools, six court sports halls, dance studios, changing rooms and cafes.
The sites will open on Tuesday, with residents able to get their own look inside through an online virtual tour.
Oak Park itself boasts two glass backed squash courts, a sauna and a steam room for visitors.
Its full size, floodlit artificial grass pitch will be replaced over the autumn.
As part of the Active Living Centres Initiative a new web portal has been launched to provide people with the latest on the programmes, prices, special offers and general information.
Councillor Julie Fitzpatrick, portfolio holder for community, leisure and culture, said: "These new Active Living Centres show our commitment to improving health and fitness in Walsall and this is an extremely exciting time the opening of these centres is a significant step on the journey.
"This online virtual tour provides a unique chance to see just how amazing the new centres really are and from as little as £25 per month for the Standard Membership residents can have access to the real thing.
"We have 'pay and play' for all activities and a choice of memberships offering tremendous value for money and more information on these can be found on our new website."
Funded through the Council's £24.3 million Active Living Centres initiative, the project received a £2m grant from Sport England's "Iconic" facilities award scheme to support Walsall Council's aspiration to improve Walsall residents' overall health and well-being.
Available through accessing go.walsall.gov.uk/leisure the online virtual tour through both centres provides 360 degree views of the insides of the buildings and the chance to virtually stroll around.
The opening at Oak Park, on Lichfield Road, has been over a year in the making, with construction by ISG Construction starting in February 2015, while redevelopment started at Bloxwich shortly before Christmas 2014.
Gala Baths was able to reopen in June.
