Providing facilities for all

AS the Executive Member for Environment at Wokingham Borough Council, I also lead on what is broadly described as ‘Leisure’. This all-encompassing term covers leisure centres, sports facilities, swimming pools and parks. Your Council has an important role to play to ensure that there are good, easily-accessible leisure activities across the Borough – particularly because of the positive health benefits leisure can bring to your lifestyle. It’s an exciting time for the Leisure team at the Council. Hard-working officers are developing our plans to enhance our leisure provisions further. We already have a great selection of leisure facilities across Wokingham Borough, and we intend to improve them further. At our popular country park at Dinton Pastures, there is a range of services available including country walks, boating activities and swimming. We have significantly improved the already excellent facilities with the addition of better children’s play equipment. This year we have already opened a gym and an allweather pitch at Arborfield, artificial football in Ryeish Green and fantastic new tennis courts and a pavilion at Cantley. We have provided new play equipment at Sol Joel and new Skate Park equipment at St Crispins. At the Council’s Executive committee last month, put forward ambitious plans to further enhance the Council’s leisure offer. Bulmershe Leisure Centre in Woodley is reaching the end of its useable life, and I will be proposing a scheme to deal with this. The approved plans will replace the dilapidated leisure centre with a fantastic new facility, more details of which are presented here in the Wokingham Paper. The Executive has also approved a scheme to install a 3G artificial pitch at Emmbrook School. This will be used by the school during the day and will be available for teams in evenings and at weekends. In January, Arborfield Leisure Centre will open to the public. The Council will run it until the new Leisure Operation Contract commences on 1st May 2018 after which it will be run by the leisure management contractor. The Bohunt School will use some of the facilities during School days. The centre will have a large hall capable of taking 8 badminton courts, two dance studios, a climbing wall, a 50 station gym and outside has a brand new 3G artificial surface full sized football pitch, 3 tennis courts and two netball courts. What we are doing in Wokingham Borough presents such a contrast to our neighbours in Reading. Despite their Government grants being three times higher than Wokingham’s, Reading are closing down leisure centres and swimming pools at every available opportunity. At Wokingham Borough Council, we are committed to doing more than just providing the bare-minimum to you, our local residents. We believe in offering facilities and opportunities to ensure the highest-possible quality of life, both physically and mentally. A bold leisure plan will provide health, fitness and stimulation to all residents, young and old.