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