Residents’ views sought on planned £1.8m Newmarket Leisure Centre upgrade

Residents are being invited to share their views on what could be included in a planned £1.8 million upgrade of Newmarket Leisure Centre.

A community consultation into the investment is set to get under way tonight with an event at the Exning Road centre between 5pm and 8pm. Two further events are also planned on Wednesday at Tesco between 1pm and 3pm and back at the leisure centre on Thursday between 7am and 9am.

Brett Gooch, Abbeycroft’s general manager at Newmarket Leisure centre, said: “The views of our community are really important in this process and we want to encourage as many local people as possible to tell us what they think, either at one of the special events or by contacting us at the centre”.

In a joint statement, partners West Suffolk Council and its not-for-profit leisure centre operators Abbeycroft Leisure, said: “West Suffolk Council is working on a programme of investment in our leisure centres. An essential part of this is understanding what local people want before any formal decisions are taken.

“The £1.5 million upgrade of Haverhill Leisure Centre we have just completed has been warmly received. Now we want to find out what Newmarket people would like to see and we’re inviting them to tell us either in person at the centre or at a series of public consultation events.”

Last week the Journal revealed details of what plans for upgrading the leisure centre, which was opened just over 10 years ago, could mean. Proposals include the development of a soft play area with integrated sensory play features, an extension to the gym, a new first floor Self Centre offering classes in disciplines such as yogo, pilates and meditation, a health studio working in partnership with NHS partners, a new cafe and a spinning studio for the centre’s popular spinning classes which involve participants exercising on stationary specialist bikes, and improved changing facilities.

Newmarket district councillor Andy Drummond, council cabinet member for leisure and culture, said the target for completion of work was 2020.