Concerns raised over state of facilities at Gloucester leisure centre

Concerns over the condition of facilities at a swimming pool have been raised by parents and councillors.

Complaints about the GL1 swimming pool in Gloucester include a lack of seating, and showers and changing room lockers being broken.

Parents say it has impacted on Gloucester City Swimming Club as they are unable to watch events due to seats being removed for safety reasons.

Aspire Leisure Trust, which runs the site, said its costs have escalated.

Chief executive of the not for profit charity, Jacquie Douglas, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, that it has invested significant sums of money into the facility that it manages as part of a contract with Gloucester City Council. 

Labour city councillor Terry Pullen said it was disappointing but "not surprising" to hear there have been complaints.

"They do their best to provide a good quality service for all those who visit," he said.

"GL1 is an increasingly expensive provision to operate and unfortunately the city council has not invested in the service as much as they should have," he added.

Mr Pullen said he raised the issue about the underfunding when the council set its budget.

"This situation has not changed and I have still not had a satisfactory response to my calls," he added.

A spokesperson for Gloucester City Council said it continues to work closely with Aspire Leisure Trust.

"This includes looking at which areas of investment need to be prioritised.

"We have recently invested into upgrading the pool's fire alarm system," the spokesperson said.

Aspire chief executive Ms Douglas said since a temporary closure due to Covid and "escalating overhead costs" it has been trying to source funds to carry out improvements.

"These negotiations are ongoing and include priority areas such as spectator seating in the pool area and energy management initiatives," she said.

"Aspire currently invests approximately £250,000 a year in the maintenance and upkeep of the facilities that it manages," added Ms Douglas.

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