New Cotlandswick Leisure Centre opens Saturday 27June
A host of activities will be on offer when the new state-of-the-art £4.8m leisure centre opens in Cotlandswick, London Colney on Saturday June 27.
Visitors will be able to enjoy a free open day trying out the purpose-built facilities from 10am to 5pm. These include nine artificial grass football pitches, a sports hall, a 60-station gym, an exercise studio and children’s play area.
Football fans can also join an Arsenal Soccer School, footvolley taster sessions and a football tournament on the day. In addition, there will be opportunities to play badminton, mini tennis and laser tag and to try out a range of fitness classes.
Cotlandswick is the third new leisure centre to be opened by St Albans City and District Council in three years, Cabinet will hear on Thursday 25 June. The other two are Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre and Batchwood Sports Centre.
Cllr Annie Brewster, Portfolio Holder for Sports, Leisure and Heritage for the Council, said: “Please come and join us at the soft opening of Cotlandswick Leisure Centre on 27 June and try out its new facilities for free. This new leisure centre is part of the Council’s wider strategy to improve facilities across the District to help residents keep fit and healthy.”
Cotlandswick is being managed on behalf of the Council by 1Life. The leisure operator also runs Batchwood Golf Course and Sports Centre, Harpenden Sports Centre and Swimming Pool, two theatres, and arts and sports programmes for the Council.
At its meeting, Cabinet will also hear that 1Life and the Council have been shortlisted in two categories for the UK Active and Matrix Flame Awards
2015. These sports and leisure awards cover the private, public and voluntary sectors.
Batchwood Golf Course and Sports Centre is nominated as ‘Health Club of the Year – Multi-use’ and St Albans Half Marathon for the ‘Go Outdoors’
Award.
Cabinet also heard that 1Life’s contract is being extended until October 2022 following a review of options which was supported by an independent
advisor. This is expected to deliver annual savings of £0.5m as the Council benefits from the greater income generated by larger modern facilities
at Cotlandswick and Batchwood.
1Life’s contract will now end at the same time as the Council’s leisure management contract with SLM. SLM manages Westminster Lodge Leisure
Centre under the Everyone Active brand.
The public can attend the meeting at 7pm on Thursday June 25 at the District Council’s offices at the Civic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans. The
meeting is also being webcast and can be watched on the Council’s website. (Please contact Democratic Services if you would like to see this webcast DemocraticServices@stalbans.gov.uk)
The agenda and papers for the meeting are available online.
Councillor contact:
Cllr Annie Brewster, Portfolio Holder for Sports, Leisure and Heritage for the Council
Tel: 01438 832255
Email: cllr.a.brewster@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson,
Media and Internal Communications Officer
St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317
E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StAlbansCouncil
Notes:
1. Cotlandswick Leisure Centre is located at 341 High Street, London Colney, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 1EB. The telephone number is 01727
822447. More information about Cotlandswick Leisure Centre, including the events time-table for the open day on Saturday June 27.
2. Footvolley was created on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s. It combines aspects of beach volleyball and football skills. Players are not
allowed to use their hands and football replaces the volleyball.
3. More information about the UK Active and Matrix Flame Awards 2015 is available online.
