A FIRE-RAVAGED leisure centre in Wootton Bassett is expected to partly re-open by the end of March following the first phase of its refurbishment.

Lime Kiln Leisure Centre, owned by Wiltshire Council, has been closed since the blaze took hold in its sauna on December 18.

Now the council has revealed that parts of the centre which were not directly damaged in the fire, including the sports hall, fitness room and squash courts, will re-open next month.

Lime Kin was evacuated when the fire started at about 10am and crews spent hours tackling the blaze. The fire started in the sauna and spread to the roof.

The damaged areas of the centre, which is run by DC Leisure, include the swimming pool, changing rooms, health suite and main corridor.

Senior staff were relocated to the Olympiad Leisure Centre in Chippenham, while other staff moved to other sites locally.

Local groups, sports clubs and gym users had to find alternative facilities.

Displaced groups include the White Horse Badminton Club, the Otters Swimming Club, and Little Kickers Tai Kwon Do club.

Members of the management had hoped to see parts of the building, not damaged by fire, open again in January but that was delayed.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “Although the fire in December was limited to certain parts of the building, there has been considerable damage to the heating and electrical systems which are essential to the overall operation of the centre, and this will take time to re-instate.

“The first phase of refurbishment will concentrate on the clean-up of the key areas of the centre not directly damaged by the fire.

“These include the reception area, sports hall, fitness room, squash courts and meeting room, as well as the creation of a separate changing area for school pupils.

“The first priority will be to repair the mechanical and electrical services.

“And pending any major interruptions, the areas listed above could be open by the end of March.

“Both the council and DC Leisure very much regret the inconvenience the fire has caused to the many frequent users of Lime Kiln and both are committed to re-opening the centre as soon as possible.”

The spokesman added that the cost of the damage was still being assessed and the council is waiting for structural engineers to give the go-ahead to the repairs.

Updates will be posted on the DC Leisure website www.dcleisurecentres.co.uk under the section for Lime Kiln.

If members of the public have any queries regarding memberships or activities, contact DC Leisure at the Olympiad on 01249 444144 or email enquiries@limekilnlc.co.uk.

Sue Hughes, of Wootton Bassett, who was involved in a campaign to save the centre from closure, said the re-opening was welcomed by the community.

She said: “We would all be delighted.

“So many people use it regularly, for both business and their own leisure and fitness, so in terms of the community it’s quite an essential thing.”