Deeping   see also Lincolnshire Free Press Coverage & South Kesteven 

From Spalding Today  11.2.08  http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/Leisure-centre-partnership-call.3765582.jp

Leisure centre partnership call  by John Baker  Reproduced in full

Deepings Leisure Centre's contract is up for renewal in March and parish councillors hope to have more of a say in its running. Leisure Connection runs the centre for South Kesteven District Council. But Deeping St James parish councillors called for a stronger partnership between the parish council, the centre, the district council and Deepings School.

Coun Pauline Neal, who had not been to the centre for several years, went to the pool to report on what she found to the parish council. She said there were several encouraging signs, including a clean pool and poolside. But she said computers at reception were too slow, foyer music was loud and there were problems with changing room locks. 

Coun Neal said: "There were no lights in the female changing room so there were a group of girls getting changed in the dark and it didn't look like anyone had checked them. The problems were all minor things but if they were rectified they could make a difference."

Coun Andy Pelling said that while the district council had spent money on the centre it was a pittance compared to what was needed.

Coun Judy Stevens said: "We need a consultation committee which would probably meet twice a year. The problem is that the centre never gets up to a stage where it's great. It is a case of 'this bit is done and that bit is done'. It is very piecemeal. It used to be so bad that it was dangerous but at least it has gone beyond that now."

From Spalding Today  26. 9.06  http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=829&ArticleID=1788278

Headteacher criticises state of leisure centre

SOUTH Kesteven District Council has come in for more criticism over the state of Deepings Leisure Centre and the uncertainty surrounding its future.
The centre, next to the Deepings School on Park Road, Deeping St James, has come in for countless criticism in recent years due to its state of repair.
Complaints have included broken glass in the sports hall, dirty floors, toilets and changing rooms, faults with the swimming pool boiler, leaks in a squash court and outdated or faulty equipment in the gym. At a meeting of the Deepings Forum, held at the centre on Wednesday, Chris Beckett, headteacher at the Deepings School, which uses the centre, asked why the centre had been allowed to fall into such a poor state...

Leisure Centre is Getting Cleaner 12 .5.06 Rutland Mercury  http://www.rutlandmercury.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=837&ArticleID=1497983   Reproduced in full

CLEANLINESS at a highly criticised leisure centre is improving, despite it not passing any of its last four inspections. Deeping St James Parish Council was told the Deepings Leisure Centre, in Park Road, has not had a cleaner for the last three months. Staff have been attempting to keep the premises clean but it has still failed its last four cleanliness inspections.

Contract cleaners have now cleaned the premises thoroughly and inspectors visited while the work was being undertaken. The council heard the top half of the centre, which had already been cleaned, would have passed if it had been assessed separately from the bottom half, which was still waiting to be cleaned.

But Coun Philippa Lincoln said she had been at the centre one evening and it was dirty and in need of cleaning. The council also learned that Leisure Connection, which runs the South Kesteven District Council-owned premises, is responsible for health and safety rather than the council itself.

Leisure Connection will manage the centre until 2008 when the district council will again consider the possibility of a leisure trust taking over its facilities.
A South Kesteven District Council spokesman said the centre had seen a marked improvement. He added: "It is the highest rate, in terms of cleanliness, the centre has had in 19 months. It is now at a point where members of the public should not go in and feel unsafe. We are confident the centre can continue to move forward and hope it will once again become a well used premises the Deepings can be proud of."

Failed four inspections and still the best it has been in 19 months! And no cleaner in post for three months while unemployment rate in South Kesteven is 3.2% and in Lincolnshire as a whole  4.7%. April 2006 Employment Figures.  The cleaning problems were well known by at least February - see Lincolnshire Free Press. PB 

From Minutes of the meeting of Market Deeping Town Council held on 12.4.06

Report of Meeting of Councillors held on 5^th April 2006 with members of South Kesteven District Council to discuss the current management and future for the Deepings Leisure Centre.

Members felt that this had been a good meeting.  There had been no firm proposals for capital investment but a working party had been formed to monitor the management and cleanliness of the centre.  Members asked that this item was reported on once a month to the full council.  It was also proposed that the clerk write to the leader of SKDC to be informed about the working party: who is on it and that the town council be given regular reports on monitoring. 

From Deepings Diary, a monthly produced by the Stamford Mercury. March 2006. (Reproduced in full)

Pool is closed in recent months due to problems ~ Leisure centre needs work to attract people

Major improvements are desperately needed at a leisure centre if it is to attract people through its doors according to town councillors. Deeping Leisure Centre, off Park Road in Deeping St James, is funded by South Kesteven District Council and run by Leisure Connection. At the meeting of Market Deeping Town Council on Wednesday (8.3.06) councillors heard how the pool has had to close in recent months due to youngsters fouling or vomiting in the water, vandalism and a lack of lifeguards.

Coun Bruce Tokens said several children have had “accidents” in the pool which meant it immediately had to shut for 24 hours to ensure the water is clean.  Other criticism centred around the standards of equipment on offer at the centre, particularly the gym, while the high cost of using certain facilities, such as tennis courses, also received negative comments. 

Coun Bruce Tokens said the centre needed huge amounts of cash spent on it if it is to come up to standard. He said, “The district council has got to start providing some money on improving the centre. 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 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.

I understand the Town Council meeting followed a number of complaints to them about the centre. I am awaiting details of these. In the report there is a curious disconnection between reports to the councillors that the pool was closed due to lack of lifeguards, vandalism and fouling and the company's reference to closure in January due to boiler problems. As ever, LCW offers space to LC to further explain. Closure after fouling is required in many cases and LC may simply be responding as they should. 

In the item below, LC told users in 2001 to expect better standards following price increases. 

Thanks to "Deeping Throat" for sending  the clipping and observations on what you have found at the centre. While I collate information from many sources , in the interests of fairness LCW does not publish anonymous letters, however much I suspect them to be true. Please consider writing to a local paper, perhaps a joint letter from several disgruntled users, and letting me have a copy. PB

Market Deeping Town Council - Minutes Of A Meeting Of The Full Council 8.2.06 http://www.mdtc.info/080206.htm

"Leisure centre - a letter received from a resident complaining about many issues including regular closure of pool and lack of cleanliness at the centre. After lengthy discussion and the town council's own dissatisfaction of the service given by the centre, the clerk was asked to send a letter to all local parish councils and sports clubs, urging them to complain direct to the district council - this hopefully putting pressure on the district council to allow extra funding for the upkeep of the building."

From Spalding Today 22.8.01 http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=829&ArticleID=402891   (reproduced in full)

PETITION OPPOSES LEISURE CENTRE'S FEES´ INCREASE

Angry leisure centre users have been left fuming over big price increases and what they see as cuts in services.

Two months ago management control of the Deepings Leisure Centre was handed to private company Leisure Connection, which now runs the facility on behalf of South Kesteven District Council. But the move has left users facing an increase in the cost of activities such as swimming lessons and badminton court hire and there have been complaints about the removal of vending machines and a pool table.

Mum of three Lorraine Moxham (30), of Market Deeping, was so outraged when she found out about the hike in swimming lesson charges that she has started a petition. Instead of paying around £2.50 per session, from September lessons will now cost £2.80 a time. And rather than paying the fees in two half-termly installments as before, the centre now requires payment of a £42 lump sum per child up front for the 15-week course. 

Mrs Moxham said: "Why does it have to go up that much?" It is disgusting. People just cannot afford it, people are still on a budget. They are incensed and will start to go some- where else. "Her petition, which has been signed by nearly 100 people, will now be handed over at a public forum at the leisure centre on Tuesday, August 14.Another disgruntled customer is Sandra Clarke, a member of the East Park Badminton Club which hires the centre's courts. The club used to hire courts at the off-peak rate of £4.65 but this rate has now been scrapped to bring the centre into line with others and it now has to pay the full rate of £7.75. She said: "The club has been going for 21 years and we have been really loyal to the leisure centre. "Three weeks ago when we went to book the prices had doubled without warning. They are putting prices up and we are not seeing any improvements. We have put in a complaint." 

The leisure centre's business manager Simon Fearn said Swim school prices had been increased to bring them more into line with those the company ran at its other centres. But he added they were still lower than those at its centres in Stamford, Grantham and Bourne and customers should also notice improvements in the service on offer. Mr Fearn said the company was also in the process of switching over vending machine contracts.