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Loddon Valley Leisure Centre will undergo a £2m revamp as part of plans to upgrade many of its facilities. 

The gym is to be expanded, the centre will receive new equipment and two new studios will be built to accommodate an estimated 100,000 unique visits a year.

However all three squash courts are set to be removed from the leisure centre as a result of the new designs. 

Councillor Norman Jorgensen, the executive member for environment, leisure and libraries, said: “One of our key missions is to encourage and empower people in the Wokingham Borough to try out and embrace sport and fitness. 

“And for those already enjoying the benefits of regular exercise, give them the choice to have a go at something new. 

“But to do this successfully, you need modern and enticing leisure facilities.

"At a time when other local authorities are looking to scale back leisure provision and close centres, we're scaling new heights with ours."

With work to start on Loddon Valley Leisure Centre in the autumn, Duncan Mackay, Area Manager for Places Leisure said “we want to keep disruption to a minimum and we are aiming to complete (refurbishments) by the end of April. 

“At the moment we have no intention of putting prices up. We have reduced some prices, like in swimming.”

Under 8s and over 60s can swim for free at the borough’s swimming pools as part of Places Leisure’s plans to increase participation in the area.  

In 2017 an NHS report found that only 13% of Wokingham’s residents were ‘inactive’, the lowest rate in the country. 

However, nearly one in five adults do less than 30 minutes exercise per week.

And more than half of Wokingham borough adults are overweight or obese - as are 26% of children in Year 6. 

There is a desire from both WBC and Places Leisure to increase family participation and as a result discounts will be available for families at the gyms. 

Group training is set to become more frequent at the Loddon Valley Leisure Centre with a cycling studio and a new space for pilates, body balance, yoga, as well as baby and parent classes.

The improvements will also include a new two-storey adventure play zone, and the reception, members changing areas and café will all be refurbished at the end of a three-phase plan.

Mr Mackay said new jobs would be created as a result of the developments.

However no new parking space is planned for the site. 

In January Wokingham Borough Council signed an agreement with Places Leisure to become the leisure centre operators in the borough. 

The contract runs for fifteen years and enhancements are also planned for Bulmershe Leisure Centre, Ryeish Green Leisure Centre and Carnival Leisure Centre. 

Places Leisure will pay the £2m costs for the refurbishment of Loddon Valley Leisure Centre.