A city leisure centre will miss yet another deadline for re-opening despite a Liverpool Council cabinet member stating they wanted it open by September.
Peter Lloyd Leisure Centre in Tuebrook is to remain closed for the foreseeable future with work due to get underway on its damaged roof in the coming weeks. Earlier this year, Cllr Harry Doyle, assistant mayor and cabinet member for culture and visitor economy, said he wanted the site open by September but has now conceded this won’t be possible.
An additional £1m is being spent to advance work at the leisure centre that has been shut since the coronavirus pandemic began. Of the £1m, £150,000 is to be spent on the roof itself, while the further £850,000 will be used for indoor renovations.
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Liverpool Council awarded work worth almost £13,000 to Kier Construction for roof repair consultancy at the Tuebrook site, according to a listing of contracts handed out by the local authority. The six-week contract was to assess the amount of work required at the much-delayed site after significant water damage to the roof that has led to the inside of the main hall being in vital need of repair.
The pacing of the project has even attracted criticism from Mayor Joanne Anderson, who said progress in Tuebrook had not been good enough. Other Lifestyles centres which have been shut since the start of the pandemic, Everton Park and Park Road, were able to reopen to visitors last year.
Addressing the culture and visitor economy select committee earlier this week, Cllr Doyle said Peter Lloyd had been “one of my biggest frustrations” as it was one of the council’s highest earning sites. He confirmed that a full tender had been completed for roof works and construction was due to get underway “within weeks”.
He added: “We are absolutely passionate about getting Peter Lloyd open and it will be open. We need to make sure we get the right people in, they get the work done properly and it’s done in stages as well, because we can’t do roof work at the same time we’re doing internal works.
“It’s not going to be open in September, that’s obvious to see, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to open at all.” Chair Cllr Liz Parsons said she understood Cllr Doyle’s frustration but seeing progress on the site was “positive to see”.
Cllr Doyle also confirmed that swimming will be made available for under 16s during the summer holidays across the city’s Lifestyles centres. This won’t include lessons or be for parents accompanying young people.
The free swimming will commence on Wednesday July 20 and end on Wednesday August 31.
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