Three of East Suffolk Council’s leisure centres are set to partially reopen from the start of August after being closed for more than four months.

East Anglian Daily Times: Lane swimming at the leisure centres will return on August 10 Picture: LAUREN DE BOISELane swimming at the leisure centres will return on August 10 Picture: LAUREN DE BOISE (Image: Archant)

Deben Leisure Centre, Leiston Leisure Centre and Felixstowe Leisure Centre are scheduled to reopen for gym and fitness classes at 7am on Monday, August 3.

The three centres will reopen for lane swimming on Monday, August 10, while swimming lessons are set to return in September.

Brackenbury Sports Centre, in High Road East, Felixstowe, will reopen a few weeks later on Monday, August 17.

The four centres, which are operated by Places Leisure on behalf of East Suffolk, will be regularly cleaned and visitors will be asked to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Hand sanitiser and cleaning stations will also be provided for guests to clean equipment after each use.

All activities will be operated in sessions and need to be pre-booked online.

Places Leisure said it consulted with fitness industry trade bodies and government guidance before making the decision to reopen.

MORE: Suffolk’s indoor pools will stay closed this weekendAll gyms, health clubs and leisure centres in the UK were ordered to close on March 20 - just days before the lockdown was introduced.In a joint statement, Letitia Smith, cabinet member for leisure, and Stephen Burroughes, cabinet member for operational partnerships, said: “We know that many people have missed it and are keen to get back to their fitness regimes, so it is great news that we are now able to confirm the re-opening of our leisure centres. “Of course, things will be a little different when our leisure centres re-open, but we want to reassure people that the safety of customers and staff is our first priority and every step has been taken to ensure we can re-open as safely as possible. “We hope that customers will enjoy the leisure facilities, but also act responsibly so that both other customers and staff can have a safe and positive experience.”Jeremy Boreham, area manager for Places Leisure, added: “We are really pleased with the Government’s decision to allow indoor gyms and leisure facilities to re-open – meaning it won’t be long before we welcome customers back to our gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools.“We are implementing lots of new measures to keep colleagues and customers safe.”MORE: ‘Our job is to help people live healthier lives’ – What to expect when gyms reopen this Saturday