Delight after 17,000 flock to new Oswestry sports centre

Nearly 17,000 people visited Oswestry's new multi-million pound leisure centre during its first month in operation, it was today revealed.

The figure is a rise of nearly 3,000 compared with the number of visits in October last year to the old sports centre.

Council chiefs today welcomed the 17 per cent rise.

They said it proved people were already enjoying the benefits of the £10 million centre in Shrewsbury Road.

It was opened to the public on October 1 and was formally opened by the Duke of Gloucester last week.

Councillor Steve Charmley said it was encouraging to hear numbers had risen and added it made the years of work planning the centre worthwhile. Planning was begun by the now defunct Oswestry Borough Council.

"It is good to see the new facilities being used," he said. "It shows people accept it is a bonus to the town. I know there has been a big increase in gym membership as well as the swimming activities.

"The project for a new leisure centre started before I was on the borough council. It is the result of 10 years work. The last two years were a bumpy ride so it is good to see it is open to the public."

A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: "The state-of-the-art centre was opened on October 1 and has since proved extremely popular with local people, attracting nearly 17,000 visits during the first month of operations, an increase of 17 per cent compared with the same month last year at the old centre."