HUNTINGDONSHIRE S five council-owned leisure centres are to be re-branded – at no extra cost, the district council claims – in a bid to attract more people to use them. The re-branding will see the removal of the current five independent leisure centre na

HUNTINGDONSHIRE'S five council-owned leisure centres are to be re-branded - at no extra cost, the district council claims - in a bid to attract more people to use them.

The re-branding will see the removal of the current five independent leisure centre names and logos and these will be replaced by the corporate name 'One Leisure'.

HDC says there is a plethora of names with no common ground, and with significant changes taking place within the leisure centres there is a clear need to improve public perception of the centres, encourage more people to visit the centres, and to build a common identity in the eyes of the workforce across the centres, to improve consistency of service standards.

Gemma Bonnett, HDC's leisure centres marketing and brand manager, said: "With many people relocating to this area, a town name followed by the words 'Leisure Centre' can conjure up a negative image. On the back of massive investment into the facilities and our products competing with and matching the private sector standards, now is the ideal time to change this."

The council fears people will assume the re-branding will be associated with huge bills, but says the changes will form part of the exiting leisure centres marketing budget. There has been no additional funding provided to enable the leisure centres to carry out this exercise, a spokesman said.

The public will notice a difference from January 2010 with no disruption to service during the transition phase. Cllr Deborah Reynolds, the cabinet member responsible, said: "There has been a lot of investment, and the facilities and standards are striving forward. We should be proud of our leisure centres, and representing one voice will certainly help to improve consistency and public awareness.