Kentish Express Ashford & District
Indoor track to become makeshift gym
An indoor running track is to become a makeshift gym after a year-long closure of a nearby leisure centre was confirmed.
Ashford Borough Council (ABC) agreed to shut the Stour Centre until mid-2021 for a £6.5m refurbishment earlier this month, causing 115 job losses.
The decision sparked controversy due to a lack of public consultation and has left members of the site’s gym without a place to train.
But now the Ashford Leisure Trust is working to convert the indoor running track at the town’s Julie Rose Stadium into a temporary gym.
The indoor facility in Willesborough Road is usually hired out for bootfairs, sports club training sessions and children’s parties.
But the trust says it is now “working very hard” to move equipment into the space at the stadium, which already has its own gym.
In a statement, it said: “The fitness provision is being extended at the Julie Rose Stadium and we are currently preparing to transform the indoor running track into a gym.
“This is a significant project and we are working very hard to complete it as soon as possible.”
The trust thanked residents for their support of the Stour Centre, which was last redeveloped in the mid-2000s when £17m was spent on the site.
It added: “As you may be aware the proposal by ABC to keep the Stour Centre closed and bring forward the capital investment project has been agreed.
“We would like to say a huge thank you to all of our staff and customers for the support over the years; you have helped make the Stour Centre such a success.
“We are in the process of contacting all of our customers regarding outstanding refunds that are due.”
Ashford MP Damian Green says it is not the first time the Julie Rose has been used during a closure of the Stour Centre.
“Obviously I hugely regret the redundancies and I hope a lot of them will be holding things like swimming or personal training elsewhere in the meantime,” he said.
“I remember the last time the centre was closed efforts were taken to continue swimming lessons and the like at the Julie Rose and other locations.”
When asked whether the closure will be detrimental to the sporting life of Ashford, he said: “I hope not, there are facilities around the place that may not be as convenient as the Stour but they are there.
“In the long run this renovation work means we’ll have better facilities - it’s unfortunate but we have to keep things like sports centres up to date or they become old and tired.
“But I understand it’s a difficult time to be in the industry.”
From September 1, Freedom
Leisure will take over the dayto-day running of the Stour Centre, Julie Rose Stadium, Conningbrook Lakes and Spearpoint Recreation Ground pavilion, football pitches and tennis courts.
It is replacing the Ashford Leisure Trust.