We are calling on Richmond Council to:
- Withdraw its proposal to convert the former health suite area into a group exercise studio, on the following grounds:
- Misuse of allocated £187K budget. Conversion of the area for another purpose is not “refurbishment” as was stated in the Capital Programme and Funding budget that was first approved in February 2022.
- Failed to get planning permission to make alterations to a Grade II listed building when the health suite was stripped out in July 2022.
- Breaking of commitment to former health suite users in August 2023 to only make a decision on the future of the health suite when the leisure strategy is complete.
- Ignoring of residents’ views: An overwhelming 84% of member respondents and 68% of non-member respondents supported the health suite refurbishment in the 2021 survey. 74 respondents wanted a health suite vs 13 respondents wanted more group exercise space in the 2023 leisure centre survey.
- All projected demand for group exercise studio is derived from computer modelling resulting in an insignificant 1% increase in Pools on the Park memberships over 1 year, when actual data shows that memberships are down by 42% since 2019.
- Committee members were very poorly informed by Richmond Council (resulting in much confusion about what they were debating) and were not provided with sufficient background information.
- Immediately suspend any tender process currently in progress for the conversion of the area into a group exercise studio.
- As promised, postpone the health suite decision until the leisure strategy is complete (currently expected in June 2024). ESCSC members should be fully informed about the 28 year history of the health suite, the contribution it made to health and wellbeing as well being an incentive for membership and the arguments for refurbishing and retaining it.
A Broken Commitment
Richmond Council’s proposal should never have been brought to the ESCSC meeting on 7 November 2023 since it clearly contradicts the council statement made on 14 August 2023 which announced the development of a new leisure strategy and said:
We know that residents are frustrated that the health suite at Pools on The Park continues to be out of use during this period, and we want to reassure users of the leisure centres that we are committed to providing leisure services which meet the needs of our residents.
To ensure that investment into our facilities is made in line with the evidence gathered for the final strategy, any decisions regarding the health suite will be made once the strategy work is complete.
ARCHIVED WEBPAGE
The leisure strategy is not yet complete. It was stated by Matthew Eady (Assistant Director of Leisure) at the meeting on 7 November 2023 that it now won’t be presented to the ESCSC until Spring 2024. This decision should therefore not have been made on 07/11/23.
Questions on funding
In February 2022, £187,000 was allocated in the 2022/23 capital expenditure budget for ‘Pools on the Park – Health Suite Refurbishment’. One year later, this budget was split between £47,000 in 2022/23 and £140,000 in 2023/24. Does this mean that £47,000 was spent on consultancy and demolition of the old health suite?
A more fundamental question also needs investigation. If £187,000 was allocated for ‘Health Suite Refurbishment’, how was Richmond Council’s proposal to spend £140,000 on converting the room into a group exercise studio even valid? Refurbishment has a very specific meaning. It certainly does not mean conversion of the room for another purpose that is not a health suite.
A Weak Proposal
Considering that Richmond Council have had over two years to prepare the case for a change of use into a group exercise studio, the lack of detail in the report presented by Matthew Eady (Assistant Director of Leisure) to the ESCSC in the meeting on 7 November 2023 is quite shocking. Just half a page is devoted to the case for the health suite.
- No mention of the 42% decline in POTP memberships since 2019. It is clear from the 2021 survey results that many members were intending to cancel their Pools on the Park membership if the health suite was not reopened.
- No evaluation of potential increase in memberships that a refurbished health suite could bring as an incentive.
- No breakdown on estimated costs for both options or alternative specification for a replacement health suite at reduced cost.
- No mention of the survey carried out by Leisure-Net Solutions that was published in July 2023 and contains a very interesting quote about the demand for health suites…
At the ESCSC meeting on 7 November 2023, Matthew Eady committed to producing a feasibility study for a new health suite as a “long-term ambition”. We enjoyed a health suite for 28 years. Why was it closed and has now been reduced to a mere ambition? Why was a feasibility study not been done already in the last three and a half years that we’ve been without the health suite?
A Lack of Transparency
Throughout the past three and a half years, Richmond Council has shown an unacceptable lack of transparency.
- There is no evidence provided that the health suite equipment had reached the end of its natural life.
- Complaints have been dismissed.
- FOI requests have been refused.
- There is no evidence that committee members were provided with relevant background papers so they could make an informed decision.
This is not democratic decision making.