by Pete Hayman | 16 Jul 2008

The Arena Leisure Centre in Camberley, Surrey, is to undergo a £1.7m refurbishment.

The project is the result of a partnership between the centre's owners, Surrey Heath Borough Council, and management company DC Leisure, which operates the site on behalf of the council.

Work on the four-phase refurbishment will begin at the end of the summer, and includes the updating of centre's fitness facilities, as well as improvements to accessibility. The centre will remain open throughout the refurbishment, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Property group ISG has been appointed to carry out the work.

Craig Tatton, managing director of ISG's regional business, said: "Investment opportunities in Local Authority leisure facilities are set to increase, largely due to the impetus set by the 2012 Olympics and the fact that many facilities throughout the country are due for modernisation."

Surrey Heath Borough Council is investing £1.4m into the project, with the remaining £300,000 coming from DC Leisure. It is part of the authority's commitment to provide improved facilities at the centre. The initial phase of the 22-week scheme will involve internal and external maintenance to the fabric of the building, before work begins on transforming the fitness suite.

Upon completion of the refurbishment, the centre will be installing Precor equipment in the new health and fitness suite, as well as Escape free weights.

The centre already offers both a kinetika Fitness room and a Keiser X-Press Fitness room, although the first floor fitness suite will be subject to minor demolition work in order to provide an additional mezzanine floor, increasing overall capacity by 64 sq m. The kinetika health suite will also undergo refurbishment, with the installation of a new spa and upgrade of the existing steamroom and sauna facilities.

The scheme will also see work carried out on the 25-metre swimming pool, an extension to the existing dance studio and refurbishment to changing areas.

DC Leisure's contract manager, Dan Walker, said: "This much-needed investment will enable the Arena Leisure Centre to continue to provide the highest standard of leisure provision, and will ensure it remains as one of the most successful leisure facilities in the country."

The Arena Leisure Centre in Camberley, Surrey, is to undergo a £1.7m refurbishment. The project is the result of a partnership between the centre's owners, Surrey Heath Borough Council, and management company DC Leisure, which operates the site on behalf of the council. Work on the four-phase refurbishment will begin at the end of the summer, and includes the updating of centre's fitness facilities, as well as improvements to accessibility.

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