Three council-owned swimming pools are set to reopen - weeks after concerns were raised about residents becoming unfit.

Bosses have finally set a date for facilities in Canterbury , Whitstable and Herne Bay to welcome back users.

Active Life - which manages sites including the Kingsmead Leisure Centre, Herons Leisure Centre and Whitstable Swimming Pool and Sports Centre on behalf of the local authority - is set to reopen them in September.

In July, there was still no reopening date for the swimming pools as other services returned.

Bosses said they were reviewing plans and would open them when "safe and viable to do so".

The struggling charity previously said the coronavirus pandemic has had a “huge impact” on the leisure sector and footfall is expected to be “significantly down” over the next year.

City councillors had called for leisure centres to reopen as a priority - particularly in light of the government’s anti-obesity drive.

Interim chief executive of Active Life Anthony Cawley said: "To allow us to reopen the pools in a safe and viable way the pools will be opening in a phased approach with adult lane swimming and family swimming coming first, followed by Swim Academy.

"We also plan to get our pool hirers back into the water as soon as possible.

"In order to open in a Covid-safe way capacities at our centres are significantly reduced, so please bear with us while we get swimming going again in Canterbury.

"We cannot wait to welcome all our swimmers back and want to thank them for their patience."

Exact dates for the reopening of each of the swimming pools are yet to be confirmed.

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