Residents across the borough will be able to book their return to outdoor sports as Wirral Leisure are set to reopen facilities from March 29.

Golf, tennis and football are among the first activities to come back, as the council’s leisure service return through phases in line with the government’s roadmap for easing COVID-19 restrictions.

Outdoor facilities that are planned to return from March 29, and can be booked from Wednesday, March 24, include:

  • Wirral Sailing Centre and West Kirby Marine Lake (for those with their own equipment and licence)
  • All four municipal golf courses (Hoylake, The Warren, Brackenwood and Arrowe Park)
  • Football facilities at Leasowe, Guinea Gap, The Oval and Wirral Tennis Centre
  • Tennis facilities at The Oval and Wirral Tennis Centre

Outdoor exercise sessions will also return for those residents who want to get back to organised group sessions. Classes will be limited to five people and the instructor, to adhere to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.

The council is working towards opening further leisure facilities from April 12 and May 17 in line with the government’s road map.

However, it may not be possible to reopen all facilities as many of the authority’s employees, including a substantial number of leisure staff, are working in other services to support the council’s COVID-19 response.

A number of key buildings, such as The Oval and Woodchurch, are also operating as vaccination centres, testing sites and telephone or online support services.

Cllr Tom Anderson, Chair of Tourism Communities, Culture & Leisure Committee for Wirral Council, said: “Over the last year, many people have relied on exercise to keep busy and spend time away from work or home-schooling – as facilities reopen there will be an increased variety of exercise opportunities and more choice for people to get involved with.

“While it won’t be possible for us to reopen everything as quickly as our customers may expect, I hope residents will understand this is due to the council’s ongoing commitment to supporting local people through COVID-19.”

Customers are reminded that all outdoor activities must be booked in advance.

Pre-booking and payment is essential before attending any outdoor facility or activity, either on a pay and play basis or with an Invigor8 membership. Bookings can be made from Wednesday, March 24.

To make a booking, visit Wirral Leisure online or ring the team on 0151 606 2010. Phone lines are operated: Monday to Thursday, 9am to 7pm, Friday, 9am to 5pm and Saturday to Sunday, 9am to 3pm.

For more information on the facilities available or to sign up for a membership visit www.wirralleisure.co.uk

For Invigor8 members with a live subscription in January, there is no need to contact the team about your membership as it will be automatically reinstated in order to book activities from Wednesday, March 24.

Residents with a suspended Invigor8 membership wishing to reinstate it, or anyone looking to become a new member, can contact the central leisure team from Monday, March 22 by emailing bookingsandinformation@wirral.gov.uk, calling 0151 606 2010 or joining online wirralleisure.co.uk/invigor8-memberships/

The dates within the national road map are subject to change and will be confirmed at a national level before definite announcements can be made.

More information on the projected dates for the government’s four-step plan can be found by visiting www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021-summary#four-steps