Further improvements planned for Amman Valley Leisure Centre

FURTHER improvements are planned for Amman Valley Leisure Centre for the benefit of residents and local and regional sports teams as part of a phased masterplan for the site.

The leisure centre has already benefitted from more than £600,000 spent on upgrading the internal areas of the leisure centre, including completely refurbished swimming pool changing facilities, transforming them into a village/unisex layout, dedicated ‘dryside’ changing rooms for gym/class users and air-handling systems.

The next phase of Carmarthenshire County Council’s masterplan for the site includes a new fenced, full size, floodlit, 3G all-weather pitch, along with enhanced athletics facilities.

The council’s Cabinet has approved £1.7million of capital funding to help deliver this next phase of the masterplan, which will further enhance the community sports facility offer for Ammanford and the surrounding areas.

Improvements to hard standing play areas and improvements to traffic flow for the site are also being worked up as part of the masterplan.

Positive discussions are ongoing with the FAW and other potential funding agencies to deliver this next phase.

The plans support the development work that is being carried out by the council’s Actif Sport & Leisure team, working closely with local clubs and community groups, as well as the emergence of popular new activities such as walking football.

Cabinet member for culture, sport and tourism Cllr Peter Hughes-Griffiths said: “More people than ever are aware of their health and wellbeing and are using indoor and outdoor recreational facilities to get active; it is important that we are able to provide them with modern facilities.

“We are committed to investing in Amman Valley Leisure Centre, we have already carried out major improvements inside, and we are now focusing on developing the outside facilities. I am delighted we are making this significant investment which will benefit our members and the local community.”

The investment, which has been allocated in the council’s Five Year Capital Programme, is part of the council’s commitment to supporting people’s health and wellbeing, encouraging fitness, reducing the need to travel and supporting its aim towards net carbon zero.

Major improvements have recently been carried out at Newcastle Emlyn Leisure Centre, and in May last year, the council opened a new leisure centre at the former Ysgol Pantycelyn site in Llandovery bringing a state-of-the-art gym, sports hall, dance studio and community facilities to the area in addition to the existing swimming pool.