The city council has agreed to pay almost half a million pounds to keep one of its leisure centres open.

The Riverside Leisure Centre (RLC), in Wherry Road, Norwich, is managed by Places Leisure on behalf of the council, and closed at the start of the lockdown.

In August, the centre announced it was reopening on September 1.

READ MORE: City council set to pay £445k to keep Riverside Leisure Centre open

Now the council has agreed to payments totalling £445,609 to fund the centre reopening.

At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, September 8, councillors voted for plans to pay Places back for costs accrued during lockdown.

Matthew Packer, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Residents have been accessing outside spaces during the pandemic.

“However, a great many people wil have missed the facilities at Riverside, not least the swimming pool.”

Nikki Rotsos, director of customers, added: “This is in a national context and is happening to councils up and down the country.”

READ MORE: Norwich’s Riverside Leisure Centre to reopen