Action demanded for 'disgraceful' King Alfred Leisure Centre (From The Argus)
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Action demanded for 'disgraceful' King Alfred Leisure Centre
2:20pm Monday 16th April 2012 in News
REFURB: The King Alfred Leisure Centre
Residents are calling on council officials to sort out the “disgraceful and disgusting” King Alfred Leisure Centre.
Visitors to the centre have contacted The Argus to complain about everything from the state of the showers and dingy lighting to broken lockers and out-of-order toilets.
One regular swimmer, who asked not to be named, said: “I think it’s disgraceful. The showers are all unisex and the other day the drain was blocked and dirty water was coming out.
“It’s disgusting and completely unhygienic.”
Debbie Knowles, 56, from Patcham, added: “The facilities are really not up to standard.
“The sports hall is the worst I have ever been in and the loos are filthy.
“All you hear about on the TV is how our children are overweight but we’re not providing the facilities for them.
“Not everyone can afford to go to a private gym.”
The centre in Kingsway, Hove, is a local authority facility but Brighton and Hove City Council pays Freedom Leisure Trust to run it on its behalf.
The pool and changing rooms are currently in the middle of a refurbishment with work due to finish in late May.
An Argus reporter went for a swim to investigate the problems and found people were forced to use a small communal changing area with just a few cubicles.
A number of the showers in the unisex blocks were not working and about a third of the lockers were either taped up or hanging off their hinges. The toilets consisted of a row of temporary loos while the disabled toilet was out of order.
A council spokesman said: “In a busy leisure centre things will go wrong occasionally and we fix them.
“It’s possible that these relate to temporary changing facilities in place as we build some excellent new changing facilities for the swimming pool.
“Mixed showers are common in pools these days and aim to enable families to stay together – for fathers to supervise their young daughters for example. We’ll also be creating some individual shower cubicles, giving more privacy for those who want it.”
Neil Roberts, the Freedom Leisure area manager, added: “There will always be challenges during any refurbishment but we’re working as hard as we can to minimise disruption and inconvenience to our customers.
“We’re all looking forward to the works being completed when we’ll have fantastic new changing facilities for all. We hope that customers can bear with us for just a little bit longer.”
What do you think?
Comments(29)
hogarth123
says...
2:47pm Mon 16 Apr 12
The main option would have been to make a profit by any means even if it means letting the place fall apart
Who votes for these idiots?
Morpheus
says...
2:52pm Mon 16 Apr 12
MegA69
says...
3:09pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Falstaff
says...
3:10pm Mon 16 Apr 12
hogarth123 wrote:If you'd bothered to check, Freedom Leisure is a not-for-profit organisation:
Another unwise decision by the council to let some private mob take over a council facility.
The main option would have been to make a profit by any means even if it means letting the place fall apart
Who votes for these idiots?
http://www.freedom-l
eisure.co.uk/page.as
p?section=103§io
nTitle=about+us
Wooders22
says...
3:29pm Mon 16 Apr 12
MegA69
says...
3:34pm Mon 16 Apr 12
FalmerFever
says...
3:41pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Earlier this year a urinal in the gents toilet was blocked for over two weeks,the response from management was to place a plastic bucket next to it this took some of the overflow but the remainder ended on the floor,hardly hygenic when you are barefoot
Today the same urinal is blocked again a plastic bucket has been placed beside it however this in turn has filled up and drips onto the ground.
The situation remained unaltered for almost an hour,I looked for a sheet to check when the toilets had been checked,but could not find one.
I wonder if the Council carry out their own checks,perhaps The Argus could follow up.
joanne_77
says...
3:53pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Phani Tikkala
says...
4:35pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Not everyone can afford to go to a private motor-racing track either. Perhaps the council can spend taxpayers' money providing one of those too so I can go and race my banger?
Ashles
says...
4:44pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Fercri Sakes
says...
4:57pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Unless we stop the tax avoidance schemes used by big business the country will go broke and we'll never have decent swimming pools.
As long as central government reduces the cash it gives councils and forces them to freeze council tax they'll never be enough money in the pot to improve these types of local services.
Librarys, hospitals, sports centres are all going to go to pot as long as companies like Amazon cook their books and pay less than 0.25% tax. The Tories will see to that.
Fercri Sakes
says...
5:01pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Phani Tikkala wrote:Well you were obviously one of the lucky ones who learned to swim in their own private pool. A lot of us learned to swim in municipal baths - I'm not sure our children will be so lucky.
“Not everyone can afford to go to a private gym.”
Not everyone can afford to go to a private motor-racing track either. Perhaps the council can spend taxpayers' money providing one of those too so I can go and race my banger?
Claire4godsake
says...
5:22pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Phani Tikkala
says...
6:38pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Fercri Sakes wrote:That's quite an assumption.... I learned to swim in the sea, actually
Phani Tikkala wrote:Well you were obviously one of the lucky ones who learned to swim in their own private pool. A lot of us learned to swim in municipal baths - I'm not sure our children will be so lucky.
“Not everyone can afford to go to a private gym.”
Not everyone can afford to go to a private motor-racing track either. Perhaps the council can spend taxpayers' money providing one of those too so I can go and race my banger?
rolivan
says...
9:06pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
10:20pm Mon 16 Apr 12
The Amex car park and stadium is desolate outside match days and the season.
It may have also brought people to the stadium who may not have had an interest in football and brought it to life outside of the season.
Now the council continues to hand planning 'benefits' to the football club, which is a profit making company, for a new car park but doesn't give a toss about ordinary people who have to use public facilities.
Hove Actually
says...
11:19pm Mon 16 Apr 12
Liars, bl00dy Liars and politicians
who needs them?
mimseycal
says...
7:31am Tue 17 Apr 12
http://www.karis.co.
uk/news/2007/03/20/l
ocal-demand-for-king
-alfred-homes
john5001
says...
8:28am Tue 17 Apr 12
Joshiman
says...
9:24am Tue 17 Apr 12
sandalman
says...
11:34am Tue 17 Apr 12
Vernon Wentworth
says...
11:48am Tue 17 Apr 12
Burgess Hill is a much better option. OK, it's not cheap but it's just as easy to drive to and the parking is free.
pebble counter
says...
1:33pm Tue 17 Apr 12
Vernon Wentworth wrote:About 20 years ago I said I'd never go to the King Alfred again after seeing a used tampon on the floor. Last time I went to the Triangle, I saw the same thing, so I'm not going back there either. It's £14 to swim there for a family of four, and I expect there to be no body fluid contaminated objects anywhere in sight for that money.
Despite the fact that I live in Brighton I would never consider swimming at the King Alfred or the Prince Regent. Burgess Hill is a much better option. OK, it's not cheap but it's just as easy to drive to and the parking is free.
Hovite
says...
2:02pm Tue 17 Apr 12
rolivan wrote:Exactly and Guilford had the spectrum.
Strange how a relatively small town like Bugess Hill can have a Facility like the Triangle and yet larger towns and Cities can't be bothered.
I had seen this concept a few years ago, to include a 50m pool and an ice rink at the site, but it is up to the council to decide what they really want to do with it, instead of brushing it under the carpet.
http://www.kingalfre
darena.com
mimseycal
says...
6:27pm Tue 17 Apr 12
Hovite
says...
10:47pm Tue 17 Apr 12
FalmerFever
says...
11:54am Wed 18 Apr 12
mimseycal
says...
1:06pm Wed 18 Apr 12
The 'not for profit' would therefore be a matter that concerns dealings within the company itself rather than its relations/contract with, in this case, BHCC.
fedupwithgreens says...
2:32pm Mon 16 Apr 12