The Riverside Leisure Centre in Norwich is under new management.

The new managers of Norwich’s Riverside Leisure Centre have promised major changes at the city council-owned complex, including a new gym and sauna.

Norwich City Council has awarded a contract to DC Leisure Management Ltd to run the £5.7m Riverside Leisure Centre, which opened in 2003.

For the past decade, the Wherry Road centre, which includes a swimming pool, had been contracted out to Leisure Connections, but that contract has come to an end.

DC Leisure’s subsidiary Places for People Leisure Ltd took over the running of the centre this month and bosses have wasted no time in making changes to the centre.

The new gym, fully redecorated and with new equipment, including treadmills, bikes, rowers, indoor cycling and free weights opened last week.

By the end of the month, the centre will also boast wa new sauna and steam room, while the poolside spa will have been refurbished.

The city council said a clause in the contract means the new operators are committed to paying workers the Living Wage, while Go4Less card holders will still get discounts.

More than 300,000 visits are made to the leisure centre each year.

City councillors last year agreed to tender for a £1.1m contract to manage the complex, which gets more than 300,000 visits a year, for the next 11 years

The new contract awarded to DC Leisure is initially for one year, but the company is hoping to continue running the centre for 10 years beyond that.

DC Leisure already runs three other leisure centres in Norfolk - Fakenham Sports & Fitness Centre, Victory Swim & Fitness Centre in North Walsham and Splash Leisure & Fitness Centre in Sheringham.

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