Revamped West View Better Health Leisure Centre in Preston features new sauna health suite, refurbished pool, and improved climbing wall

Refurbishment of West View Better Health Leisure Centre in Preston.

From left to right: Mark Sesnan (CEO of GLL) ; Councillor Jennifer Mein (Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing); Jolene Swann (General Manager Better Preston Partnership); Mayor of Preston, Councillor Javed Iqbal; Tim Bestford (GLL’s Head of Service North Region); Councillor Zafar Coupland (Deepdale Ward); Derek Jones (Better Partnership Manager South Lakeland, Copeland and Preston). — Refurbishment of West View Better Health Leisure Centre in Preston. From left to right: Mark Sesnan (CEO of GLL) ; Councillor Jennifer Mein (Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing); Jolene Swann (General Manager Better Preston Partnership); Mayor of Preston, Councillor Javed Iqbal; Tim Bestford (GLL’s Head of Service North Region); Councillor Zafar Coupland (Deepdale Ward); Derek Jones (Better Partnership Manager South Lakeland, Copeland and Preston).

The centre on Ribbleton Lane was opened by Preston’s Mayor Jayed Iqbal on Monday following the refurbishment of the pool, improvements to the climbing wall and a new sauna health

suite being added to the facilities.

Derek Jones, Better Partnership manager for South Lakeland, Copeland, said: “After a difficult 18 months for many, we are proud to unveil our newly improved facilities at West View

Better Health Leisure Centre and hope they will provide a welcome post-Covid boost for our many customers, meaning even more local residents can enjoy the facilities in future.”

Works included a full retiling of the pool tank, repainting of the pool hall and installation of a new sauna health suite.

The popular climbing wall has been a feature at West View for over 30 years. Offered by experts PrestonWall, it now boasts a doubling of customer capacity across 500sqm of bouldering

and more than 700 sqm of roped climbing with Auto-Belay stations.

The leisure centre remained open for gym, fitness classes, sports hall, indoor and outdoor football and soft play while the works were completed in 10 weeks this summer.

Paul Cottee, of PrestonWall said: “We are thrilled to be ushering the climbing wall at West View into a new chapter of its long history.

“Being able to not only renovate the existing walls but expand the climbing facilities further allows us to welcome many more people into the climbing community looking to take their first

steps into an exciting sport that saw its first ever world competition appearance in Japan this year.”

Coun Jennifer Mein, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at Preston City Council, said: “West View Better Health Leisure Centre has been an important part of the local community for

many years and many residents have missed the facilities during its closure.

“It is fantastic to see so much investment has been made to the local leisure centre.”

Swimming pool and sauna health suite are open from 7am Monday to Friday and from 8am at weekends.

For details of sessions, see www.better.org.uk/west-view The Climbing Wall facilities will be run separately by the Lakeland Climbing Centre. Visit www.prestonwall.co.uk