No plans to bring back Bretton Water Park and hydrotherapy pool as Peterborough’s libraries and leisure centres set to reopen

Following Vivacity’s decision to cease running leisure services on behalf of the city council, questions were asked at the authority’s online Full Council meeting (Wednesday) about which services would be re-opening and when.

Cllr Angus Ellis said: “As well as the more obvious sports, culture, arts and heritage services that Vivacity have run and have given notice of ceasing to run there are also other residual services that are very important to different groups of people and local communities, such as the hydrotherapy pool, Bretton Water Park, swim schools and sports pitches.

“Will the Cabinet member responsible for Leisure & Recreation services please make a commitment now that all these services will be reopened to run as soon as they are deemed Covid-19 safe to operate?”

Cllr Steve Allen, Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Recreation replied: “We have the issue of Covid-19 compounded by the fact that our leisure services provider Vivacity, handed back the keys to the city council last week for us to deal with, and it has made things very difficult.

“I’m delighted, however, to announce the re-opening of a number of former Vivacity services including our vital libraries, leisure centres, regional swimming pool and the athletics track – all of which will be opened over the next three or four weeks.

“It’s clearly vital that these and any other services can re-open safely with protection for both service users and council staff.

“Therefore, every location must be subject to a full Covid-19 risk assessment before opening.

“We will continue to work with Vivacity who remain responsible for all of their services until September 16, to safely open as many facilities as we possibly can based on national guidance and local health guidance.”

However, Cllr Ellis wated to know about the planss for Bretton Water Park and the hydrotherapy pool.
Cllr Allen said: “Bretton Water Park is highly unlikely to open this year because of health and safety issues as a result of our risk assessment.
“With regard to the hydrotherapy pool this is an important facility which is under review at the moment and I don’t have an accurate answer for you on that.
“But, while I’m supportive of the need for that facility in Peterborough – it isn’t among the immediate venues we’ll be opening.”