Vale Farm Showers - still unreliable after six and a half years

8 July 2007  The saga of the showers continues. Still no news on who will pay for them, so  assume either it is the council tax payer or the wrangling between Brent and LC continues. My shower on entry was cold again this morning but OK when I got out. The system has been reasonable at  times over the last few weeks. Does this mean the showers could be adjusted manually if there were enough staff or is it simply a case of unpredictable temperatures? 

I had a look at the Vale Farm customer feedback diary for January and February this year. There were eight complaints about shower temperatures, none by me as I send my grumbles by e-moan. It seems like  the issue was left on the back burner by the council and LC. 

Another old chestnut at Vale Farm has been the failure to keep the pool floor clean. One bout of protest led to a commitment by LC to use its pool vacuum every day. When another period of grungy bottom happened a council officer seemed to blame me for the pool hoover being worked to death! We now have had another extended period with filth on the floor, like the used sticking plaster there this morning along with much grit and other debris.

For reasons not explained it seems to take an age for pool vacuums to be repaired or replaced. One might have thought the UK's leading leisure company would have cracked this issue by now. One wee bit of progress, I am told that on occasions during this breakdown a hoover has been borrowed from a pool in Harrow operated by LC. When I had suggested this in the past I was told such an arrangement was not possible. PB

4 June 2007 Fears are growing that LC and Brent Council are disputing bitterly who will pay to fix the wetside showers installed by LC six and a half years ago. The showers have been the cause of many complaints since then. Despite the problems with the showers being well known it would appear Brent did not get LC to agree to be responsible for making them fit for purpose before agreeing a new contract for Vale Farm this time last year. In the last week over eighty people have signed a petition primarily about the showers, which have run mostly stone cold for the last two months in the main area for male swimmers.

Some abridged emails draw attention to the issues. Mr Padhani's emails appear with his agreement. PB

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From:  Paul Burns    Sent: 03 April 2007 
To: Brent Council Recreation Commissioning Manager, LC Vale Farm, Cllr. Irwin Van Colle

The main showers were cool on at 6.35 and still cool at 7.10. While not freezing nor was it comfortable and this means people are far less likely to shower thoroughly before entering the water. This is the third time recently that I have encountered lukewarm showers.

After my second shower I was told the disabled showers had hot water. I suspect that the mixing valve for the main showers had not been set appropriately and / or no check to see if the temperature was reasonable. My complaint about the showers concerns what appears to be a lack of measures to check the temperature and adjust it as necessary, until the fundamental problems have been rectified. 

Is there any news of what is happening with the showers? Referring to the email from the Head of Sports Service:

"It is necessary to assess the pump mechanisms which currently supply the system. An engineer is programmed to be onsite today to carry this out."  Has the engineer been and if so what has been reported?

"In addition sections of the existing pipework will be removed to see if there is any build up of deposits within the pipework which may be affecting the supply." Have the pipes been removed and if so, what was found? If not, when is this work scheduled to happen?

"Once the outcome of these inspections are known we should then be able to determine what the necessary works are in order to try and alleviate the ongoing problems. It will then be necessary to write a specification for the works and obtain the relevant number of quotes which will then enable orders to be placed "  If both these inspections have happened, when will the specification be ready?

Paul Burns

From: Paul Burns     Sent: 20 May 2007 
To: Brent Council Recreation Commissioning Manager
Cc: LC Vale Farm, Cllr. Irwin Van ColleHead of Sports Service 

Thank you for your email of 13 April. I seek clarification of the Council's response to only half the pool being made available. Is the procedure of closing half the pool when only one lifeguard is available acceptable in terms of the new contract with Leisure Connection? If not, what action is the council taking about such measures.  

1)            Fixing this very longstanding problem

2)            Lack of information - male swimmers should be warned there are limited shower facilities and there should be a notice stating what is happening or what we are waiting for

3)            Full fees are still being charged despite a reduced service.

4)            Continuing staff shortages, especially of lifeguards

  Paul Burns

From:  Paul Burns
Sent: 21 May 2007 12:02
To: Brent Council Recreation Commissioning Manager
Cc: LC Vale Farm, Cllr. Irwin Van Colle, Head of Sports Service

Further to my email on Saturday, I was able to speak to a Duty Manager this morning.

  1)            When was it agreed that the Council was responsible for the work needed?

2)            What has happened since then?

3)            Is anything delaying the start of the work?

4)            What is being done about communicating with users about the situation?

5)            Why are council taxpayers footing the bill when the system has not been satisfactory since its installation by Leisure Connection?

 The debris on the pool floor that I described on Saturday is still there, unless further Blutack and other similar items have been deposited since then. Does the promise to hoover the pool once a day still hold? If not, with what frequency does the Council expect the pool floor to be cleaned.   

Paul Burns   (No substantive reply received to the questions above as of 4.6.07 but another swimmer received this reply to an email sent a day later than mine.)

From Recreation Commissioning Manager    Sent May 25 2007
To Pyaru Padhani      CC Various Councillors and Officers
Subject Re: Vale Farm Freezing Cold Showers

Dear Mr Padhani,

I have been forwarded a copy of your complaint dated 22 May... . I am sorry that you and other customers have experienced fluctuating shower temperatures.

The showers at Vale Farm have been an issue for many years and a number of different changes have been made over the years to try and remedy the situation. In some cases work done has resolved one problem but created another ie. addressed temperature but reduced pressure.

The Council has become aware again that there remain problems with the showers which the on-site maintenance team have tried to stabilise by adjusting pressure levels in order to try and raise temperature levels. Earlier this year Leisure Connection conducted a number of tests to try and identify the cause of the problem. These ranged from pressure tests, pump removals, thermostat isolation and swapping with the ones in female showers.  Unfortunately these tests were inconclusive and the cause of the problem remained unidentified. Therefore engineers working on behalf of the Council subsequently tested the pumps and parts of the system which supply the showers and Leisure Connection have instructed their contractor to remove sections of pipe work over night within the next two weeks to identify if it is scaling of the pipe work that is causing the problem. As soon as this is completed, both parties will then be able to determine the next action to be taken which we hope will finally resolve the problem.

You mention in your e-mail the closure of the centre last Christmas. This closure of the pool was to carry out works on the pool floor vinyl and not the pool showers - at this period there were very few complaints about the showers.

We will request that Leisure Connection advise customers when there is a fluctuation in temperatures and inform customers what the outcome of the inspections is.

If following this reply the matter has not been resolved to your satisfaction... 

Recreation Commissioning Manager

From: Paul Burns  Sent: 26 May 2007 
To: Brent Recreation Commissioning Manager  CC To Pyaru Padhani,  Various Councillors and Officers
Subject: Re: Vale Farm Freezing Cold Showers

 Mr Padhani has invited me to comment on your reply to him. 

You are right when you say the showers have been an issue for many years. In fact, they have been an issue since Leisure Connection installed them in 2000. Users suspect that the work was poorly designed and executed, a notion given credence by the use of melamine & chipboard vanity units in the wetside changing rooms, units unsuited for such a wet and busy environment.

Following a customer Survey in 2003, which highlighted shower issues, there was a Council report that mentioned "actions are being taken to make improvements" and specified "capital works to improve the showers at Charteris and Vale Farm Sports Centres".

Then from a meeting on 21 July 2004 of users, council officers and Leisure Connection representatives, the notes written up by a Council Officer include: 

"Showers – Problems with temperature fluctuation within the shower areas. Action:  The site management team to monitor the temperatures on a daily basis, to check fluctuations.  Maintenance Team to check the temperatures to investigate whether there is any proactive means of improving temperature variations."  

In the minutes of "Annual Meeting - Leisure Connection and LB Brent" held on 24.6.05 under "Overall Improvement" is:

 "Repairs and maintenance - slow to implement necessary repairs and maintenance to equipment or fixtures and fittings e.g. broken gym equipment, light bulbs…   Showers and water temperature - this is an ongoing issue but one that leads to customer dissatisfaction"

 In agreeing a new contract with Leisure Connection in July 2006 the Council promised tighter controls over Leisure Connection. Councillor Irwin Van Colle, lead member for Environment, Planning and Culture, said: "Hopefully this will close a book we all want to see shut and allow a fresh start."

 In March 2006 I received a letter from Gerry Kiefer, Head of the Sports service. Her reply referring to shower complaints included. "We will continue to monitor the situation and if further issues arise we will require Leisure Connection to rectify the situation as quickly as possible, allowing for the ordering of parts etc."

 Despite this background, you seem to suggest that no action on showers was needed before Christmas 2006 because "At this period there were very few complaints about the showers."

I made complaints about showers on a number of occasions last year (16/7, 31/7, 3/10, 12/10, 17/10) and raised it at the Vale Farm Citizens' Panel on 21/11/06. The reply then from Leisure Connection was that further investigations into the problems were to take place soon. You also informed me that on at least one occasion the temperature had been tested at higher than that legally allowed. I reported on several occasions that the fluctuating temperatures in the disabled shower could be dangerous for someone unable to move quickly when the water became too hot.

What more does the Council need to progress this issue with some sense of urgency?

While the issues may be complex there has been more than enough time to resolve the problems with showers if both the Council and Leisure Connection were fully committed to do so. In the meanwhile new customers have not been advised of the problems and there has been no reduction if fees despite the impaired service offered.

 From: Pyaru Padhani Sent: 30 May 2007 
To: Brent Recreation Commissioning Manager, LC Vale Farm, Cllr Irwin Van Colle
Subject:  Issue - Shower before entering swimming pool

 Until a few years ago there was a problem at Vale Farm of swimmers not being challenged about failure to pre-shower and this was reversed only after a meeting between users and the council and Leisure Connection. The longer the showers are faulty the more likely we are to see the standards gained then being lost. 

At present if lifeguards cannot challenge the  swimmer, whose excuse is  say showers are terribly cold. (First fix the  problem, then be demanding.)  

Pyaru Padhani

From: Paul Burns     Sent: 31 May 2007
To: Pyaru Padhani Cc: CC Various Councillors and Officers
Subject: Proposed Works to Showers A Fig Leaf?

 Dear Pyaru, Thank you for copying your message about showering before entering the pool. I agree that the standards are slipping and the lack of comfortable showers is making the lifeguards job of enforcing the standard more difficult.

 There was an undated Leisure Connection notice at Vale Farm this morning suggesting that work on the showers is due to start shortly. This referred to "investigations" and "replacing old/scaled pipes".

 I can't help but fear this response is inadequate and more designed to give the appearance of doing something. I understand that the problems with the shower system have been investigated on at least three occasions. Users have never seen the "diagnoses" written by independent engineers and until we do, given the history of problems, I think it wise to remain sceptical.

 The idea of fixing through replacing old/scaled pipes makes little sense to me. Given that the system has been problematic since 2000, we could only expect replacing pipes now to make produce reliable shower temperatures if old/scaly pipes were installed.

 I am still waiting for an answer from the Council as to who is going to pay for putting right the shower system, which is less than seven years old, Leisure Connection or council taxpayers? I asked the Recreation Commissioning Manager this on 21 May. The lack of substantive response implies that there is disagreement between Brent and the contractor. This is what Cllr Van Colle told me on the phone about eight weeks ago and is reinforced more recently by the Leisure Connection Duty Manager retracting what he had told me, that the Council were going to pay. So no progress there in two months.

Also on May 21^st I complained to Recreation Commissioning Manager about the amount of litter on the bottom of the pool and asked what had happened to the undertaking from Leisure Connection to hoover the pool floor every night. The pool floor has continued to be littered and one distinctive piece of rubbish was there for over a week.  

Paul Burns

6 March 2007 - Open Letter to Irwin van Colle,  Lead Member for Environment, Planning & Culture, Brent Council

Dear Cllr Van Colle,

The men's' wetside showers at Vale Farm were again stone cold this morning ten minute after the centre opened. You will know from the emails I have copied to you over the years both as a local councillor and in your newer role that the unreliability of these showers has been a longstanding issue.[i]

I wish to know what the Council is doing to resolve this problem, given that at the time the contract for Vale Farm was renegotiated with Leisure Connection councillors gave assurances that the long history of poor response to issues at the centre would not happen in the future.[ii]

It appears to me that Leisure Connection is reluctant to pay for the work needed to rectify the problems in the showers that it commissioned and that the Council has yet again been   unable to influence the company to provide an adequate service.[iii]

On several occasions since June 2006 I have advised Leisure Connection and the council that the level of heat and sudden fluctuations in the shower temperature are hazards. Since at least last October I have been pressing Leisure Connection and Council Officers to specify what the problem is and when work on to resolve the problems will be completed.

Two weeks in advance of the Vale Farm Citizens' Panel meeting I emailed the Area Manager for Leisure Connection saying I particularly wanted the meeting to review, "Showers - What was the problem causing excessive temperatures, fluctuating temperatures and pressure…?" The minutes of the meeting show that the manager would b " Arranging for a pressure test within the next few weeks to try & locate how air is getting into the system." 

I know that the showers have been looked at but there is still no solution is sight. A new manager took over in the New Year. He wrote to me on 12.2.07 saying, "I have been made aware of the challenge with the showers and I am now seeking further advise on what will be done going forward.  As soon as I have clear understanding of an outcome, I will contact you again to update you on the progress."

Two weeks on after being pressed for news, the best this manager can advise on 28 February is, "I have discussed this matter with my company and Brent Council. As a result, all parties have agreed a provisional date (unspecified) to met in the near future to carryout a join investigation." 

Leisure Connection and council officers having a meeting is not what is needed. The showers require expert heating engineers to fix or replace a duff system.

My requests to council officers for exact information on the nature of the problem and news of by when it will be fixed, have also no been adequately answered. They were made aware of my intention to write this open letter if I did not have meaningful information.

On behalf of long suffering swimmers at Vale Farm, I appeal to you to ensure there is prompt action.

Yours sincerely  Paul Burns

Notes