New pay-as-you-go gym plan for Sundorne, Shrewsbury

A pay-as-you-go gym is to be created at the multi-million pound Shrewsbury Sports Village, council leisure chiefs said today.

It is expected to open in the next few months after work is completed.

Work is needed to convert a meeting room and office space into a facility featuring running and bike machines and weights.

Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for leisure, said a need for the gym in the area had been identified and it would enhance the leisure provision available at the site in Sundorne.

Mr Charmley said it would not be a members-only gym and would operate in a similar way to the gyms at the Quarry Fitness and Leisure Centre in Shrewsbury and at Oswestry Leisure Centre.

"It should be going in there pretty soon and I think it is somewhere in the region of a 30 to 40-station gym replacing a meeting room and office space."

He added: "We are getting quotes because there is going to be a bit of building work as we have got to knock down an internal wall between the meeting room and the offices. I hope the gym will be open in about three to four months."

Mr Charmley said the council was still assessing options for the future of Shrewsbury's Quarry pool.

He said a multi-million pound replacement swimming pool could be built at the sports village site as a replacement for the ageing town centre facility.

He said it was the "obvious" site to consider if an out-of-town replacement was the preferred choice.