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Looking at standards and raising the game since
 March 2004

Leisure Connection Watch

                         Last updated: 2 December 2008 

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The Leisure Connection Dossier - Issue 5  

With so much information about LC on this website it can be time consuming finding the leading items. Now you can download a Word document with key reports about LC. The dossier refers to Audit Commission, council and media sources. Items are listed under headings that include Problems with Council Contracts, Health & Safety, Cleaning & Hygiene, Maintenance, Staffing,  Price Increases, and User Contract Issues.  The current version is  Issue 5, published 8.10.07.  Issue 6 will be ready early in the New Year.

   Index for Headings from January 2007 till now    Headings from 2006    Headings from 2004 to 2005 

 Dates on left are when items were added to LCW.    Dates on right are when reports first appeared.     

POLICE had to shut down one of the largest entertainment venue in Harrow amid fears the management had lost control.... after a fight involving up to 50 young people broke out inside the hall during the event. ...Sergeant Carl Davis...said Byron Hall and the adjoining Harrow Leisure Centre has a “consistent problem with crime and disorder”, and pointed the finger squarely at Leisure Connection for not doing enough to tackle the problem. He added managers have “stalled, dithered, dawdled, and smoke-screened” over a number of years to avoid putting in adequate security measures, such as CCTV alarm systems, and employing enough bouncers, as requested by the police.

Residents are calling for a change of management after problems at Harrow Leisure Centre... complaints ranging from poor maintenance to lack of security...

Harrow Council ...  said the building is in a state of disrepair but wanted to replace it, a project scrapped when funding fell through... ...a swimmer at the centre said they should develop rather than scaring people off. "I'd like to see them replace the current contractors with people who would get the place up and running like they should.” 

The Councillor responsible said he knew there were problems. “They've got a contract for two more years and if I terminate that contract before then I will need money to buy them out....  I'm not going to spend a lot of money to buy them out of an old building.”  He said his department  told Leisure Connection that the council is not responsible for its staffing problems and the company itself must solve them.

 “The (monitoring) sheets used by Vale Farm are not fit for purpose “ “…no audit programme of how staff are performing the tasks…”  Testing tablets had no expiry date. Manufacturer not contacted after failure.  “What happens to these reports was my next question. Again blank faces. It seems no one apart from the head office sees these reports.”  “…no one had actually read the (health improvement) notice to see what it entailed…” “The gradual rise (in chlorine readings) should have been observed. Because of some of the above failures this did not take place. At this point I stated that for all I know these figures could just be made up. This might be a strong possibility.”

The Concerns include cleanliness, no evidence of safety checks,  staffing and training worries raised "consistently", high levels of bacteria, excessive chlorine, and pool water testing equipment in "very poor condition".

20.1.07 Grantham - User protest forces LC climb down on job cut  13.1.06

13.1.07  LC and Danoptra accounts listed as "overdue" at Companies House 13.1.06

13.1.06 Grantham - Highly popular fitness instructor faces redundancy  13.1.06

9.1.07 LC to be sold as Danoptra denies financial problems  9.10.06 

6.1.07  Great Yarmouth  - Marina Centre doing  better as Trust  5.12.06

6.1.07  Lambeth Council "pursuing senior managers" of LC over debt now totaling £33k  7.12.06

      Headings from 2006    Headings from 2004 to 2005