Call For Improved Standards At New Chiswick Pool

Petition set up to demand action on facilities and customer service

Locals who are frequent visitors to New Chiswick Pool and its Leisure Centre on Edensor Road have started a campaign to improve standards at the facility.

The management has recently announced that the pool was to close for three months for refurbishment, and one regular user said that the short notice given to users of one week, was "the final straw that broke the camel's back" and has led to a petition being set up on Hounslow Council's website. The deadline for signing is 19 June.

Petition creator Anthea Buckeridge states, "Surely management must have known for some time that work was due to start on March 6, so why were staff and customers only given such short notice of its closure? This meant that pool staff only had a week to find alternative employment and gave swim classes no time to make alternative arrangements.

"We request that everyone concerned by the following please contact London Borough of Hounslow’s Leisure, Library, Parks and Sports Department, to make their voice heard. Also contact your local MP, Councillors and anyone else you think would be interested," said the disgruntled user who outlined a number of complaints.

She say there is a lack of staff and poor communication with customers and that managers and staff are constantly changing with the result that there is no continuity. Also there are often insufficient staff to deal with phone calls and on-site visitors and a shortage of pool staff often leads to closures at short notice. It also means that swim classes/lessons for both children and adults are cancelled, again at the last minute or with very little prior notification. It is also claimed that there is only one constant and consistent member of staff in the gym and that classes on system are not regularly updated.

The equipment, fixtures and fittings are also criticised with, it is claimed, a high percentage needing repairing and upgrading and that it is not adequately maintained and is out of order for long periods of time. The equipment is not cleaned regularly, and people often have to clean it before they can use it say the campaigners.

General maintenance of the building is also held to be inadequate. The campaigners say the whole building needs to be repainted throughout, that includes public and staff areas. As well as this they list a number of required improvements such as wall damage in gym not repaired, sauna and wet room out of order for long periods and air conditioning not working and when finally mended runs so cold that changing rooms are freezing.

The standards at the pool and gym have led to a discussion on our forum, where opinion is divided on the issue with some customers saying they believe it is good value and that there was adequate notice given of the closure.

Last year , Hounslow Council and Fusion Lifestyle announced they were investing £2 million in leisure centres in the borough. The swimming pools at Hanworth Air Park Leisure Centre, and Isleworth Leisure Centre were to be refurbished.

March 21, 2018