Leisure centres across Fenland will look to build on a successful reopening as they extend their opening hours.

The centres in Chatteris, March, Wisbech and Whittlesey, ran by Freedom Leisure on behalf of Fenland District Council (FDC), will also see gym and fitness class sizes increase whilst maintaining safety standards.

From Monday, August 3, opening hours will be 7am-12pm and 3.30-8.30pm on weekdays and 8am-2pm at weekends.

Cllr Sam Clark, portfolio holder for leisure at FDC, said: “It’s been fantastic to see customers returning to their local leisure centres to get back into the sports and fitness activities they have missed during lockdown.

“The reopening of the leisure centres has gone brilliantly, with everyone appreciating all the hard work that’s gone into getting the centres ready and respecting all the measures put in place to give everyone a safe and positive experience.”

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The decision to extend opening hours comes after Freedom Leisure reopened its Fenland centres on Saturday, July 25 in line with government guidance.

There will still be reduced capacities in place, with some areas such as saunas, soft play areas and toddler pools remaining closed.

Ivan Horsfall-Turner, managing director of Freedom Leisure, added: “We could not have hoped for a more positive reaction from our customers in Fenland which reflects how much people want to get back into their exercise habits.

“Our staff teams have been fantastic in making customers feel supported and confident to return, we have had some great feedback which confirms we are doing all the right things.”