Deeping   -   Lincolnshire Free Press Coverage   see also main Deeping page

If you have seen the main Deeping page the first article here covers similar ground to the one from the Deepings Diary. The second article is more revealing and the third qualifies some of the assertions made in the second. Thanks to Deeping Throat for alerting me to this coverage. PB

9/2/06  Leisure Problems   by Rob Jerram 

 RENOVATIONS and major improvements are desperately needed at a leisure centre if it is to attract users. Market Deeping Town Council has raised serious concerns about the Deepings Leisure Centre, which is based in Park Road, Deeping St James.

The centre, which is funded by South Kesteven District Council and run by Leisure Connection, has received damning reviews in recent months and encountered problem after problem, particularly with the swimming pool. At a meeting on Wednesday (February 9) councillors heard how the pool has regularly had to close in recent months due to youngsters fouling or vomiting in the water, vandalism and a lack of lifeguards.

Coun Bruce Tokens Several children have had "accidents" in the pool, which means it immediately has to shut for 24 hours to ensure the water is clean. He said: "Another girl was sick in the pool after she had got out, which meant it had to close again. "There was also tip-ex thrown in from the balcony, presumably by kids who were up there while the pool was closed. And on another occasion it had to be closed because all of the lifeguards went to a party and the management had not arranged for any cover." Coun Tokens said several staff had left the centre in recent months and that is was suffering from poor organisation.

Other criticism has included the standards of the facilities and equipment at the centre, particularly the gym, while the high cost of using certain facilities, such as the tennis courts, has also received negative comments. Coun Bruce Tokens said the centre needs huge amounts of money spent on it if it is to come up to standard. He said: "The district council have got to start providing some money so work on improving the centre can start. It's a great facility for the Deepings to have and we do not want to lose it but it has got to be improved from its present state."

The council heard how large amounts of money have been set aside for improvements by the district council each year only for the council's cabinet to reject the budget. The council agreed to write to all neighbouring parish councils, as well as the local sports clubs who use the centre, urging them to make their feelings known to the district council. Coun Tokens said: "If they get enough complaints they will have to take a serious look at the situation."

  14.3.06 Problems at Leisure Centre ‘beyond a joke’   by Rob Jerram

 Regular closures of the pool due to contamination, boiler problems, vandalism and a lack of lifeguards, were among the criticisms, while the state of the changing rooms and quality of equipment in the gymnasium were also complained about. The centre is run by Leisure Connection but owned by South Kesteven District Council, which is planning to transfer responsibility for its leisure facilities, including the Park Road premises, Bourne Leisure Centre and Bourne Corn Exchange, to a leisure trust in the near future.

Full details are yet to be revealed but speaking at a meeting of Market Deeping Town Council on Wednesday (March8), Coun Bruce Tokens, whose son works at the centre, said the problems needed to be sorted first. He said: "I was called at 7.30am on Sunday and asked to get my son out of bed as the swimming pool was not open even though it was supposed to be. My son doesn't have a key but another lad in Maxey does so we went and picked him up and got to the centre about 8am to open up.

"The duty manager came stumbling down the stairs as we came in. He had slept in the bar as he had been too drunk. "There's a bunch of sub-20-year-olds running the facility without any management experience or training." (This Sentence was later retracted - see third article.)

"I was there on Sunday night and the carpet in the bar was filthy. The girl I spoke to said it because there's no cleaner." Coun Tokens said the pool had been closed again in the past month because the boiler had run out of oil. He added: "It's getting beyond a joke now."

Coun Roy Bell said he had been approached by people concerned by the pool's regular closure. He said: "One of them had been told the pool was closed because there were no lifeguards as they'd all been out and got drunk the night before."

Coun Pauline Redshaw was critical of the state of the centre. She said: "It is in a dreadful state down there. The footbaths have been filled in so you can't clean your feet on the way to the pool and it really smells."

And Coun Reg Howard added: "We must document everything we have heard so that we can take this to the district and ask what is going to be done.".

The matters are due to be discussed at a liaison committee meeting between the town council, Deeping St James Parish Council and representatives from South Kesteven District Council on Wednesday, March 22. No one from the centre or South Kesteven District Council was available to comment.

 A COUNCILLOR has backed down over comments he made heavily criticising the running of a town leisure centre. As reported in last week's Lincolnshire Free Press, Market Deeping Town Council member Bruce Tokens slated Deepings Leisure Centre for being run "by a bunch of sub-20-year-olds without any management experience or training".

But Coun Tokens now says his comments were borne out of frustration over funding and should have been saved for an upcoming meeting between the joint councils of the Deepings and South Kesteven District Council. He said: "It has been brought to my attention that some of the comments I made were based on an event I was not witness to and therefore not supported with evidence. I believe these comments have upset staff at Deepings Leisure Centre. The staff are dedicated and hard working and I let my frustration and annoyance at the lack of investment in Deepings Leisure Centre get the better of my judgement.

"It would have been better to wait until the forthcoming meeting. I would like to apologise to all the people who work at and manage Deepings Leisure Centre for any misunderstanding my comments may have caused."

Deepings Leisure Centre, in Park Road, Deeping St James, is owned by South Kesteven District Council and managed under contract by Leisure Connection. The facility has come under fire in recent months for regular pool closures, boiler problems, vandalism and the state of the changing rooms and gym equipment.

A Leisure Connection spokesman said: "Leisure Connection is committed to delivering excellence in sport, leisure, health and well-being and we are pleased to learn that Councillor Tokens has rectified his comments about Deepings Leisure Centre." The concerns are due to be discussed as a liaison committee meeting between Market Deeping Town Council, Deeping St James Parish Council and representatives from South Kesteven District Council on Wednesday (March22).

Going by what is in the third article I am not sure that the LC spokesman is right to claim that "Councillor Token has rectified his comments about Deeping Leisure Centre". The councillor has acknowledged that it was inappropriate to repeat hearsay when he had no corroborating evidence and to say as much as he did before the council hearing to review the centre.