New sport centre in Rainham opens ahead of summer holidays

The New Cozenton Park Sport Centre, formally known as plashes, includes a wave pool and gym equipment they hope to keep accessible.

Transcript

00:002023 saw the beginning of Raynham's new Sports Centre. The formerly known Splashes, which

00:06was in Raynham for 30 years, was demolished to make way for a new multi-million pound

00:10project, which had its ceremonial opening today.

00:14People said when Splashes, the original building was in a very difficult place, they wanted

00:18to see it improved and maintained. So we've done that, you know, alongside creating new

00:24jobs and a real opportunity for young and old alike. We've had to take some difficult

00:29choices as a council when it's come to our concessions for swimming. So we are trying

00:33to make sure that there are things like being able to swim for a pound during school holidays

00:38and other such concessions. So we are making it as affordable as possible.

00:43The newly named Cosmington Park Sports Centre has reopened with two swimming pools, a gym

00:48and a fitness studio, and will be open ahead of the summer holidays. But how did it match

00:54up to its budget?

00:55So we're really pleased that the development of Cosmington Park Leisure Centre has actually

00:59come in under budget, which means that the money that's been saved can potentially be

01:03reinvested in other sports centres across Medway. Obviously that is subject to a paper

01:09going to Cabinet, which will be decided in the coming weeks, but hopefully it means a

01:13bit more investment for some of our other sports centres as well. Here in Medway, where

01:17we've got four sports centres that are council run, to have something of this nature in Gillingham

01:22and Raynham, not just serving the residents of Gillingham and Raynham, but the wider Medway

01:25community, is something we should all be very proud of.

01:28The centre has also been designed with environmentally friendly features.

01:32As you can see behind me, there is a ball in the swimming pool. Now this ball is bobbing

01:36up and down to create waves. And this is not the only way the centre is being energy efficient.

01:41Solar panels on the roof allow for the pool to be heated, and with the accessibility features

01:46Medway Council hope it will be a space in which everyone can come and enjoy.

01:50The leisure centre, the sports centre is accessible to everybody who lives in Medway, as well

01:55as who wants to visit the sports centre. So here we have pool lifts, so for people who

02:01need access to go to the pool, they can access through the pool lift, and we have a changing

02:07room. We also have accessible lockers, so it is at different heights, so if people want

02:14to also put their wheelchairs beneath the lockers, they can do it. So we have those

02:21range of facilities to make sure that it is accessible and welcome for everybody who lives

02:26in Medway.

02:27This new addition to Medway hopes to make it splash this summer.

02:30Daisy Page for KMTV.