People can lift weights, spin, or run on treadmills at council-owned leisure centres in North Oxfordshire from today.

Cherwell District Council has been working closely with its delivery partner, Legacy Leisure, to plan for the safe, phased reopening of its facilities.

As it follows the latest phase of Government lockdown guidelines, it is reminding residents that they will need to book their visits to leisure centres via the LeisureCentre smartphone app which will help limit overall numbers at centres.

The open-air pool at Woodgreen Leisure Centre in Banbury will open for lane swimming from Saturday, August 1 for the remainder of the summer season.

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Other sports centres such as Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury and Bicester Leisure Centre, will reopen from today.

Councillor George Reynolds, Cherwell’s lead member for leisure and sport, said: “The reopening of leisure centres is really good news for local people, who I know have missed the chance to use the running machines, lift weights and attend their usual classes during lockdown.

“That relief still comes with a note of caution. We know coronavirus is still in general circulation, so we are reopening in a careful, phased way."

The measures now in force include enhanced cleaning regimes and hand sanitiser stations; a booking app to limit overall numbers at centres; classes held in larger spaces to facilitate social distancing; and floor markings to help people stay distanced during class.

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Jason Andrews, area manager for Legacy Leisure, said: “We are committed to providing the best possible experience to our customers, even under social distancing measures, and we can't wait to welcome everyone back to your community leisure centres.”

The reopening of indoor pools will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Ansaf Azhar, Oxfordshire County Council’s director for public health, said: “We’ve all worked extremely hard to bring down the number of cases across the county to the point where we are able to reopen leisure centres, which is great news for us all.

“However, we mustn’t go easy on the virus. There is still very much a risk if we do not take the correct precautions, so residents will see several changes."