13:25 > Saturday 14th November 2009
Sports centres face £3million bill
23 September 2004
A SHOCK report shows that nearly £3 million needs to be spent to bring leisure facilities in the St Albans district up to scratch.
Most of the money would need to be directed at Westminster Lodge and Bricket Wood sports centres, according to the report which was commissioned from consultants as part of the tendering process for the district council's leisure contract which is up for renewal next March.
The report says that Westminster Lodge is facing an immediate and significant requirement for refurbishment at an estimated cost of almost £1.9 million in the next five years. Major defects were found in the main structure and water has been penetrating throughout the building fabric causing corrosion, staining, surface cracking, mould growth and falling plaster.
The inspection also revealed that many of the key mechanical and electrical systems were no longer working, the ventilation supply to the main pool hall was virtually uncontrolled and the heat-recovery system, which could salvage 50 per cent of the heating costs, had not been working for a decade.
Bricket Wood, where the pool has been closed since March after high winds blew in a large window, also requires more than £1 million to be spent within the next five years. The report shows major internal defects including water damage and moisture penetrating the building fabric.
Cllr Malcolm MacMillan, chair of the St Albans overview and scrutiny committee which looked at the report last week, said members were shocked when they realised the extent of the deterioration.
He maintained that the lack of action which had allowed the problems to arise were a combination of the contractor not upholding standards and the council failing to monitor the state of the buildings.
He had asked Leisure Connection, which runs the council's sports and recreational facilities, to appear at the meeting - not, he said, to apportion blame but to discuss better monitoring - but they had declined.
Cllr MacMillan went on: "I can't believe that a company which has been managing our services for 14 years is unable to come and talk about the conditions of the facilities. I wasn't very happy about it. I felt it was an insult to the council."
Sports and healthy living portfolio holder, Cllr Sheila Burton, admitted there had been concern about the lack of proper monitoring of conditions at the Bricket Wood sports centre in particular.
It is leased from the HSBC Bank and most of the estimated £1 million costs of repair are the council's liability because of the requirement to return the centre to its owners in the condition it was in when they took it on. A full report on its future is due to go to the council's cabinet next month.
Leisure Connection maintains that it sent a "full and detailed" letter to the overview and scrutiny committee explaining that the company felt it was inappropriate to attend the meeting because its presence possibly challenged the current position in the procurement process.
A spokesperson added: "In addition, Leisure Connection is currently undertaking its own review of the findings from the condition survey and their intention had always been to report back to council officers once this review was completed at a date to be agreed with council officers.
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