Forum Topic

Hounslow leisure centres

As no doubt you have heard gyms and swimming pools can reopen soon.Well don't get too excited if you use the ones Hounslow are responsible for.Below is an extract from  Lambert's Brentford weekly update."Wednesday morning my monthly catch up with the chair of Lampton. Main topic is the leisure centres which Lampton have now taken over. Each has two boilers so there is always one operational (in theory) but in practice only one of the six leisure centres currently has any working boilers, a bit of an issue when there’s swimming pools and showers needing hot water. Oh, and a bit of heating wouldn’t go amiss in December"Simply disgraceful.Yes, I know that the management has changed but that is no excuse. Children, adults, the fit and disabled need these facilities for both physical and mental well being.I bet my shirt that if Hounslow House's boiler broke down it would be fixed overnight.When are these people going to get a grip or more to the point, are they even capable of  getting one?

Adrian Irving ● 2165d27 Comments

I enjoy reading Guy's blogs and this sort of transparency is good but he is trying to kid us if he thinks that just because Fusion was an external contractor it wasn't ultimately the council's responsibility to ensure things like the leisure centres had working heating.

Francis Rowe ● 2165d

I am glad you enjoy reading Lambert’s blog Francis. For me I am left wondering what he actually achieves in the week to improve the life of the people he is supposed to represent.If you cut out the waffle about his clapped out Jaguar, little Pony and trip to the dentist (as if anyone cares) you are left with a few meetings, chats, catch ups, briefings, and presentations.The unanswered question is, what does this all add up to?

Adrian Irving ● 2165d

The unanswered question is, what does this all add up to?Approximately £26,000 per year is the answer

Paul Fisher ● 2165d

Well, if reports are correct, Hounslow made a little shy of a. Million pounds in fines on TGT.  That money should be re-invested in the leisure facilities which have been so badly neglected for years.

Elizabeth Ross ● 2164d

Surely what they actually collect in fines (where the fines aren't quashed) is ring-fenced?

Philippa Bond ● 2164d

It might be ring fenced but you can bet the sums of miney collected in Chiswick are not actually ploughed back into Chiswick!

Jennifer Selig ● 2164d

Would you want them to? Chances are you'd get the money ploughed back into more LTNs and cycle lanes.

Andrew Jones ● 2164d

Cllr Lambert has published another weekly update. I do like them - the light tone makes them more readable than some of the ones written by Chiswick councillors but I can understand people getting frustrated by the lack of detail. He touches on the boiler situation and says things are going well but doesn't give any indication of when they might reopen. As an Ealing borough resident I'm looking forward to going back to a leisure centre soon.

Anita Blake ● 2161d

Anita, light tone is a fair description but shouldn't we expect better? It is just not good enough to say things are going well with the boiler repairs. It's meaningless, we need a date when each  centre is targeted to open.Is that so difficult? Apparently so.

Adrian Irving ● 2161d

Well I for one won't  be returning to Chiswick Pool. I gave up last January due to the Kew Bridge Road works and now theThamesRoad Fiasco to be and more Kew Bridge c9 works,also School Street in Edensor Road make it all wholly uninviting. I could go to Islworth but more LTNs make that journey a hassle so forget your leisure centres LBH

Elizabeth Price ● 2159d

There’s also dismay in Brentford about the closure of Morrison’s - they will soon be without a supermarket. And now this.As I remarked to Cllr Lambert, it’s beginning to look a lot like omnishambles...

Russell Pearson ● 2159d

A new bigger Morrisons in Brentford is due to open in 2023.We never used to have so many supermarkets to choose from.  There are more supermarket deliveries than ever now.

Philippa Bond ● 2159d

But none in Brentford for 2 years, and no option for people who don’t shop online. And as for driving to Chiswick...It looks like Osterley will be their nearest accessible option.The Green Gentrification of Brentford proceeds at pace.

Russell Pearson ● 2159d

Ealing's leisure centres have reopened. No date given for Hounslow's.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 2156d

Jerermy, that's good.As for Hounslow they tell us they are working "furiously" to open their leisure  centres.Forgive me but it appears they only seem able to shut things down at the moment and would appear to have trouble opening a can of beans!It's us, the citizens, that have to put up with the incompetence that are furious!

Adrian Irving ● 2156d

Doesn't look live a hive of activity at Brentford Leisure centre. 

Rob Reynolds ● 2156d

It's pathetic.  Hounslow Council incompetence on this and all matters is absolutely staggering, but sadly unsurprising.  Ealing opens their leisure centres, Richmond opens theirs.  Hounslow - er, it's the boilers.Lambert is more interested in making sure his London Cycling Campaign mates are all ok, than doing anything useful.  Maybe he should be investigated for incompetence as well as Conflicts of Interest.

Chris Soze ● 2156d

I have been in touch with my local councillor who has advised me that some public meeting centres will be reopening later this month, Heston Pool towards the end of the month but as to Brentford and Chiswick facilities it's anybody's guess.There must be (correction,should be) targeted opening dates so why don't Hounslow do themselves a favour and let us know?

Adrian Irving ● 2156d

I’ve been a regular swimmer at Chiswick pool for more than 12 years but I’ve now given up hope of the pool reopening and am swimming at Pools on the Park in Richmond. There is an easy to use online booking system for the three lanes (slow, medium and fast) and it’s a longer pool so 30 lengths is my 1km swim.

Susan Jennifer Thackray ● 2155d

Similarly most libraries have opened - but not Isleworth? What is going on?

Vanessa Smith ● 2155d

The delay in the opening of  centres compared to other councils, proves how sluggish and inefficient the council operates. Next we will hear the parts for the boilers are so specialised they are hand made and waiting for clearance from Mars

Robert Glen ● 2154d

Robert, you don't know how near the truth your post is.At New Chiswick Pool the sauna was frequently out of order for weeks, Ask why and you would be told they were awaiting a part from Germany.Odd that as anytime I have ordered parts from there they arrive pronto.

Adrian Irving ● 2154d

Problems in clearing customs after 1 Jan may be a genuine excuse.

Chris Dakers ● 2154d

Great opportunity to have British boilers!

Peter Evans ● 2154d

It works out much more expensive to go to one off swims/aquafits at Richmond Pools on the Park which is all that is allowed if you weren't previously a member.It's £10.00 per aquafit class (had a ltd offer at £7.50 but this is finished now as far as I am aware) compared to just over £37.00p.m. - old dears' membership - at Hounslow Leisure Centres to attend as many gym, swim and aquafit sessions in a month as you could get into at any of the Hounslow facilities.I find it very frustrating that the leisure centres are not yet open but hope when they do they will still offer such good value £-wise and that one's membership goes across all facilities.

Anne England ● 2154d

It is very true that anything which was out of order at Chiswick Pool (and others no doubt) took a very long time to put right. I got sick of 'complaining' at the reception desk  of Chiswick Pool when none of the taps in the women's toilets worked - and I exaggerate not - for over two months. I was not a user of the sauna or steam room but saw that one of them, the steam room I think, was very often out of order.I would like to say that it was great having the Chiswick and Isleworth pools re-tiled although it did mean prolonged closure of the pools - one at a time - while the work was being carried out.I hope that when the leisure centres do finally reopen under Lampton 360 that the experience will be worth the wait.

Anne England ● 2154d

They'll  be in lorry parks outside Dover if they dont hurry up!

Elizabeth Price ● 2153d