Two Dacorum leisure centres to be refurbished under £410k upgrade plan
A leisure group has announced plans to significantly upgrade two gyms in Dacorum.
Everyone Active is set to complete upgrades of Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre and Berkhamsted Leisure Centre costing £410,000.
Berkhamsted Leisure Centre is getting a makeover first, with £230,000 being spent on improving facilities. Everyone Active is mainly focused on expanding its strength training features.
At the Berkhamsted centre plans have been approved to double the size of the free weight area, where new benches, an expanded range of dumbbells and a tripled Olympic rack will be added.
All cardio equipment is being upgraded, with new treadmills, cross trainers and spin bikes, set to be available when the site reopens.
New equipment has also been bought for the centre, including a ski erg, and new theraguns have also been purchased to help customers with muscle
relaxation. There will be a new area in the gym dedicated to stretching and recovery.
Berkhamsted Leisure Centre’s existing gym will remain open during most of the work, and a temporary gym will also be used in the sports hall.
Current plans will see the gym close on 14 August and 28 August, all work is expected to be completed by 29 August.
Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre, which underwent a full refurbishment in December 2022, is set to receive an additional £180,000 investment.
Everyone Active has confirmed plans to bring in a Speedflex Blade. The company says customers can use the machine to complete coach-led workouts, with 100 recorded on the system.
Also, the centre is receiving all new Life Fitness strength equipment.
Hemel Hempstead Leisure Centre is due to close on 2 September, for one day to facilitate the removal of old equipment. The installation of new equipment will be completed over the following two days during regular hours, with all the new kit ready for use from Thursday 5 September.
In addition, four fitness studios at Hemel Hempstead will receive a makeover including new lighting and décor for classes including spinning, body pump and yoga.
Steve Cox, area contract manager at Everyone Active, said: “We’re thrilled to announce this significant investment into our Dacorum leisure centres, which we believe will greatly enhance our fitness offerings.
“This project really marks an exciting time for fitness in our borough, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with the council to bring more exciting developments in the future.”
Berkhamsted Leisure Centre also had its astroturf football pitches resurfaced in June, while Hemel Hempstead is scheduled for the same replacement work in the autumn.
Councillor Sheron Wilkie said: “We’re determined to deliver the kind of top-quality sports and fitness facilities that gives people who live, work and study in Dacorum the means and motivation to keep active.
“The planned improvements at the two Leisure centres are a great example of the work the council and its partner Everyone Active is doing to achieve that aim. By improving customer experience, it is our hope that usage of the facilities will increase, and the health and wellbeing of the local population will benefit as a result.”