CLOSURES are set to come into force as the construction work at Chelmsford’s Riverside Leisure Centre gathers pace.

Work will shortly begin on refurbishing the sports hall and the ice rink at Riverside.

This will include new lighting, redecorations, upgraded changing facilities, new ice rink glass barriers, a brand new semi sprung floor and new dividing curtains in the sports hall as well as number of other improvements to the faculities.

In addition, important work will also start to link the new buildings with the existing sports hall and ice rink.

So that this next phase of work can be undertaken, the Sports Hall and Studio One will close from October 22 and the ice rink from October 29.

Both will remain closed until the new centre opens in Spring 2019.

The parking spaces beneath the building undercroft will be closed from 23 October until late January.

During this period leisure centre customers will be able to park at Waterloo Lane car park three which has been especially allocated for their use.

From November 5 the whole centre will be temporarily closed for one week to divert power supplies and modify service connections between buildings.

Councillor Julia Jeapes, cabinet member for leisure, said: “I would like to thank residents once again for their continued support and patience during the extensive construction work.

“Work on the exciting new facilities is progressing well and we have managed to remain open during most of the construction period, keeping as many facilities available as possible.

This is no mean feat in such a complex, constrained location.

“I apologise to all our customers and neighbours for any inconvenience that these final phases of the project might cause.”