New £35m leisure centre opens but with strict public health guidelines

It has the largest gym on the island of Ireland at 1,000m2 as well as a 50 metre, eight lane swimming pool.

The entire building is state-of the art and will be open seven days a week on a pre-booking basis for anyone to enjoy.

Built by Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council, it replaces three leisure facilities in north Armagh, Cascades in Portadown, Brownlow and Waves in Lurgan.

The council believes this new centre is ‘a future-proofed model to meet the needs of a growing population and increased demand for a range of leisure, amateur and professional sporting enthusiasts regionally’.

Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, there are some restrictions on the use of the facility in line with public health guidelines. Therefore, advanced booking is required to safely access the gym and to enjoy lane swimming in the pool at this time. All other facilities will remain closed temporarily and until coronavirus restrictions are lifted.

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Cllr Kevin Savage, said: “This spectacular multi-use leisure facility represents a hugely important transformational investment in the future of our people’s fitness, health and mental wellbeing that is needed more than ever now in these current challenging times and also going forward for generations to come.

“First envisaged a decade ago, I’m delighted that this impressive community facility is now safely open for everyone to enjoy in line with public health guidelines.”

Construction of the multi-million-pound transformative build project got underway early in 2018, creating 500 jobs on site during construction.

Additional employment opportunities have also been created in a range of areas.

Located overlooking the stunning Craigavon Lakes, the impressive sports and leisure provision also features a multi-court sports hall, squash courts, a dedicated group cycle studio, dance studio, a health and wellbeing suite and an on-site café in a cutting-edge building specifically designed for people with disabilities providing accessibility for all users.

Last month, the Council appointed leading local service provider and social enterprise incredABLE to operate the new café and a suite of hospitality services at the new centre.

The café is now open for takeaways only and until current restrictions are lifted.

Café incredABLE @ South Lake will occupy a prominent position on the ground floor within the expansive, multi-access reception area and will be an integral part of the complex.

For more information about South Lake Leisure Centre and how to pre-book your visit for lane swimming and the gym, visit www.getactiveabc.com. Alternatively, phone 0330 056 4411.

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