Leisure facilities and markets open

Shapes Health and Leisure at Fenton Manor and Dimensions Leisure Centre welcomed back members on 2 December.

The two Stoke-on-Trent city council-run gyms reopened with strict Covid-secure measures in place after national lockdown restrictions lifted.

The return of these services is part of a phased reopening of leisure centre facilities and will be in line with Government tier restrictions, as well as the need for some sport and leisure staff and facilities to be redeployed as part of the council’s frontline work to combat coronavirus in the city.

Exercise and fitness classes, swimming sessions and other indoor activities will remain closed at all leisure centres for now. The potential for these activities to return will continue to be reviewed.

Since council leisure centres closed their doors for the second national lockdown, all memberships and subscriptions have been frozen. As a thank you to existing members, the gyms that are reopening will be free to use throughout December. During December, members will also receive ‘global’ access, so they can use either of the gyms at Shapes or Dimensions. Fees will then be capped at £10 for January, with a view to membership packages returning to normal after this period.

To ensure the gyms are Covid-secure, the council’s teams have followed guidance from the Government, Public Health England and national governing bodies for sport and leisure. Safety measures include signage and one-way systems, individual cleaning equipment for each member to collect at reception, hand sanitising stations, extra cleaning by leisure centre teams between sessions, and socially-distanced equipment in the gyms.

Visitors must: Pre-book sessions via the ActiveStoke app, stoke.gov.uk/leisure or by calling Shapes: 01782 233222 or Dimensions: 01782 233500. Not have any Covid-19 symptoms in the past 14 days; Arrive on time – no more than five minutes early, Follow queues, one-way routes and social distancing, Sign in with a membership card and support track and trace information, Sanitise their hands on arrival and before/after activities, Wipe down and sanitise equipment or items used.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Councillor Abi Brown said: “We’re delighted to be able to reopen two of our gyms in a Covid-secure way so residents can enjoy the huge physical and mental health benefits that they bring, which is essential at this time. As part of our phased reopening, some facilities cannot return yet because of the Government’s tier restrictions. We’re also having to keep some services closed for now so our sport and leisure teams can continue to support vital work linked to the pandemic as they have already done so in recent months. These staff have been at the front line of the council’s coronavirus response throughout the year, with many colleagues redeployed to critical services including welfare calls and contact tracing. More recently, our leisure facilities have been used for community coronavirus testing.

“As we move out of this second national lockdown, we will have to retain some of these resources as part of the city’s huge effort to bring the number of coronavirus cases down. During December, three quarters of our sport and leisure service staff will still be redeployed in critical Covid-related services. Our leisure centres will also play a central role in increasing our community testing programme in the coming weeks – with strict Covid-secure measures in place to keep all visitors safe. As a result of this and the Government’s tier restrictions, there are some activities that will not take place for now. If the current situation improves, we expect to restart more of our sport and leisure services from the New Year.”

The gyms at Shapes and Dimensions will be available only for existing members for the time being. Showers and changing rooms will not be available. Members are asked to give two hours’ notice if they cannot attend a pre-booked session. The ActiveStoke app is available for Apple and Android. For more details about services, becoming a member or booking sessions, visit stoke.gov.uk/leisure or call a centre.

Some leisure centres will continue to be used for our community coronavirus testing programme. Separate parking spaces, different entrances and routes, deep cleans and other measures will ensure this does not affect customers’ use of the sites and they can still visit the buildings in a safe and Covid-secure way.

Indoor markets were also set to welcome back traders only from Wednesday, December 2. Residents can support a local, independent business by choosing to shop at indoor markets across the city for all their essentials ahead of the Christmas break.

Hanley indoor market
Open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

Stoke indoor market
Open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

Longton indoor market
Open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

Tunstall indoor market
Open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

Customers are asked to adhere to the social distancing measures in place when they visit. Visit www.stoke.gov.uk/markets for more information about city wide markets.

Cllr Brown continued: “We’re working hard to support businesses through this period and it’s a continued challenge balancing public health and the economy. I’d urge residents to shop local and support businesses in their community wherever they possibly can. It makes a huge difference and we want to do all we can to help.”

Meanwhile, libraries will continue to stay closed while Stoke-on-Trent is in tier 3 restrictions, however they will still be offering the Click, Call and Collect service. For more information and to use the Libraries Online service, visit www.stoke.gov.uk/clickcallcollect.