A healthy start at Paisley Lagoon

Dec 16 2008 by Cameron Hay, Paisley Daily Express

THEY say that some things are worth waiting for.

And it seems Buddies reckon that is definitely the case when it comes to Paisley’s showpiece leisure centre.

Work on a major revamp at the Lagoon Leisure Centre started way back in November 2006 and should have finished in February this year.

But on-site building problems at the end of last year caused delays and pushed the bill over the original estimate.

More than £5million was pumped into the refurbishment of the Lagoon before it finally re-opened – over-budget and months behind schedule.

But leisure chiefs insist that Paisley now has a sports centre which is top of the league when it comes to facilities.

The Paisley Daily Express went along to ask people who use the Lagoon if they agree – and the response from fitness fans young and old was certainly positive.

Claire Cowie, who works as a nurse at Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital, is hugely impressed by the refurbishment.

The 41-year-old, of Corsebar Crescent, Paisley, said: “It is certainly money well spent. This is something Paisley has needed for some time.

“The Lagoon is always busy now, which tells its own story.

“The facilities are just great. I use the gym and the pool.”

Previously, the Lagoon had a swimming pool, health and fitness suites plus a café and community meeting rooms.

The new extension has provided a six-court regional sports hall with some retractable seating for a total of 380 spectators.

And the fitness suite has been relocated and almost doubled in size and the entrance area has been redesigned.

Refurbishment has also been undertaken to expand and improve the foyer area, offering customers a new coffee shop and bistro service.

The improvements also include a new health and beauty treatment room, dance and exercise studio and extended car parking space.

Among the sports now on offer at the Lagoon are badminton, basketball, trampolining, karate, gymnastics, judo, cheerleading, netball and carpet bowls.

Phil Feeney, an IT manager who works near the Lagoon, is delighted with the new look.

The 39-year-old said: “I come here quite often as it is handy for work and the equipment in the gym is top of the range.

“You really get value for money here and it is as good, if not better, than what you would find at most private gyms.”

Puffed-out pensioner Bernard Feeney, 71, spoke to the Express after a gruelling badminton workout with his sons Gerry, 43, and Mark, 36.

“I used to come here before it was all done up, but it is now really is a vast improvement,” said Bernard, who is no relation to IT manager Phil. “The facilities are top class.”

Training

His son Gerry, who works as a train driver, travelled all the way from his home in Alexandria to check out the new-look Lagoon.

He said: “What they have done here is fantastic and the coffee bar makes it even better.”

Warehouse worker Mark, of Paisley, added: “We had been playing in Renfrew for a while but I think it has been decided that this is the new venue for our workout.”

The Lagoon is operated by Renfrewshire Leisure – the management trust that runs sports and leisure centres locally.

Funding for the revamp came from Renfrewshire Council and Renfrewshire Leisure, with a lottery contribution from Sportscotland.

Since the centre re-opened, it has hosted a major sport summit entitled ‘Renfrewshire – Gateway to the Games’, which focused on positioning Renfrewshire to be in the best shape to benefit from Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games in 2014.

The summit also outlined how Renfrewshire Council is taking forward its sports strategy to increase participation in sport and support elite competitors.

Joyce McKellar, chief executive of Renfrewshire Leisure, is delighted with the number of people coming through the doors of the new-look Lagoon.

She said: “I would urge even more local people to come along and see for themselves the excellent new facilities, activities and services that are now available for them.

“There’s no doubt that the Lagoon is now a top-class leisure facility.

“It is well-equipped to meet customers’ requirements for a range of recreational sport and leisure programmes, community club evenings, casual court bookings, coaching in different sports and also coach education programmes.”

Councillor Iain Nicolson, chairman of Renfrewshire Leisure, said “There’s a growing realisation of the health benefits of participation in sport.

“The Lagoon’s new high-quality facilities will allow people of all ages to get involved in sport and fitness in such a way that best suits their needs or the time they have available.