New Chiswick Pool Gym Users Unhappy at Planned Closure
Say no refund offered during four-week maintenance shut down
The gym at New Chiswick Pool. Picture: Lampton Leisure
March 4, 2024
Regular users of the gym at New Chiswick Pool have expressed dismay at an announcement that it is to close for four weeks starting later this month.
Gym members were informed by Lampton Leisure that the facility would be shut from 18 March to 15 April for essential maintenance. The swimming pool and other facilities remain open.
However, there was annoyance from people who are paying their fees monthly or annually that no refund is being offered. Instead Lampton Leisure informed members in an email that they could ‘continue their fitness journey’ at the Brentford Fountains or Isleworth leisure centres.
Gym members pay up to £43 a month and most schemes already allow multi-site access.
One gym user said, “It seems like a very counterproductive move. Some people might cancel their direct debits and use another gym for the duration possibly not coming back. It’s not a competitive option for people who don’t use the pool but some pay extra for convenience so, take that away, and you will lose revenue.”
It is not the first time the management has come into conflict with its membership with a dispute arising during the pandemic due to direct debits being continued when the facility was closed. At that time it was run by Fusion Lifestyle.
A spokesperson for Lampton Leisure said, "We can confirm that the gym facilities at New Chiswick Pool will be closed for four weeks from 18th March. This closure is so essential maintenance work can be carried out in the gym. This will only impact the gym; the rest of the centre will open as usual. We would like to apologise to our centre users for this disruption. Most of our memberships already have multi-site access, and we will be making sure that all members are able to use facilities at Brentford Fountain Leisure Centre or Isleworth Leisure Centre & Library during this closure. In addition, the on-site fitness teams will support members and provide alternative options such as group exercise classes or at home solutions. If these options are not suitable, we would encourage members to speak to our team directly to arrange a temporary membership freeze. We will share regular updates with our members via the Lampton Leisure app during the closure."
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