STAFF at Holywell’s charity-run leisure centre are have spoken about their plans to reopen this month.

The board of trustees and leisure manager met to agree on a phased timetable for the reopening of facilities at the centre following an announcement from First Minister Mark Drakeford giving facilities the green light to return to business.

This will start with the gym, sports hall and community studio areas reopening on Monday, August 17.

The swimming pool will reopen shortly afterwards on the following Monday, August 24, provided that all the contract work is complete and commissioning of the new boilers and pumps is completed on schedule.

Tudor Jones, chair of the charity, said: “We are delighted that all our members and customers will be able to return to the many and varied activities that the centre has to offer and that we’ll soon get the community buzz back into the place.

“It’s been a shame to have worked so hard to keep the place open since 2017 only to find it closed and empty for so long.”

The centre has not been idle over the lockdown period as the antenatal clinic was able to move in to provide three consulting areas for the expectant mothers. This was a necessary move to separate two vulnerable groups - pregnant women and in-patients - who were both previously based at the Holywell Community Hospital.

Chris Travers, centre manager, said: “Finally knowing that we can reopen is a great relief - but I want to reassure everyone that we have not been idle in the last few months.

“We have had a great deal of maintenance work done as well as all the major repairs and replacement of boilers in the plant room. We are really looking forward to getting the staff back into work, the doors open and to welcome back all our friends and supporters”.

Initially, the leisure centre will limit numbers in each area to help with social distancing requirements and everyone will need to pre-book their visit.

The phone lines will open on August 13 and 14 between 10 and 4pm and again on Saturday, August 15, between 9 and 1pm. Bookings for the pool will be taken from Thursday August 20.

The full range of activities and COVID Safety Guidelines will be posted on the leisure centre’s website by Monday, August 10.