the recent focus groups.

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1 Chesterfield Borough Council Customer Newsletter Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend the recent focus groups. Around 15 members of the public attended each focus group, and your comments have been passed on to the relevant people for consideration, and, in some cases, immediate action, so please let us know if you notice improvements over the next few months. For those who weren t able to attend, here is a summary of the discussions and what we plan to do as a result: 1. Current accessibility and booking arrangements You raised concerns about the waiting last for children s gymnastics classes being too long (12 months), queuing at reception, and the websites for the centres. Club members raised concern about arrangements for contract bookings. You also asked whether there were many enquiries from customers about WI-FI, and the sort of information the new IT system will allow us to collect for marketing and measuring demand. We have started the process of upgrading our computer systems to provide online bookings, payments, fast track entry, online waiting lists, course management, and options for contract bookings, to name a few. We are also appointing an Activities Officer, and we are refreshing our web-pages. WI-FI is taking a little longer to sort, as there are information security issues as well as affordability to consider, but we are making progress and hope to sort this soon. 1

2 2. Current programming and pricing Some participants felt that swimming is good value, and the club bookings are competitively priced. On the other hand, some were concerned that the cost seems to be increasing while choice is decreasing, the quality of the product is not great for what members pay, and the billing system for clubs is not consistent. Concern was also raised about the swimming programming at Healthy Living Centre (HLC) being too complicated making it very difficult to use the pool. You asked whether we would reconsider the surcharge for club bookings, and whether it could be possible for clubs to pay for the year s bookings up front. We are pleased some feel we offer value for money, and we continually monitor our pricing. We have recently reviewed our pricing and are introducing a number of incentives to encourage more people to use our centres including: Free casual swimming for any child enrolled on current swimming lessons as long as they are accompanied for the casual swim by a paying adult. New discounted Inspire Fitness memberships starting at per month for a great package including gym, classes, swimming, rackets, child swim. Student memberships starting at under 15 Gym, swim, classes etc Family swimming only 5 Any birthday party activity 60 Annual Leisure Pass membership prices frozen Non member casual fee frozen We have already appointed a Senior Lifestyles Officer who is looking at classes and activities including health, fitness and swimming. As HLC has a single multifunctional pool, we try to ensure the programming enables as many people to use the facility as possible. Programming is reviewed on an on-going basis, so please let us know if you struggle to access the facility. Thank you for your comment regarding the club surcharge we will consider this. 3. Quality of the overall service You said that staff are wonderful and friendly, however, you noticed a change in atmosphere at times, during the recent changes. Thank you for your kind comments, we strive to provide a high quality service to our customers. You will be aware that the service is going through a significant review and we thank you for your sensitivity and continued support during this time. 2

3 4. Current maintenance standards / Cleanliness You felt that general maintenance needs to be improved, and that cleanliness deteriorates throughout the day. Concern was raised about trip hazards when swimmers are temporarily moved to dryside changing facilities while maintenance is being done. The leaking roof is an on-going issue which is still leading to problems and is a particular concern during competitions. 5. Safety and Security We are reviewing the cleaning rota and maintenance operations, and in the shorter term, thanks to your comments, we have identified the following needs for quick fixes to improve your experience, for example: Check and replace light bulbs in a timely manner Establish a safe solution for when swimmers are required to use dry-side changing. Clean the studio floor more frequently. Clean the mats used during classes and ensure there are wipes for people to clean them after use. Check, repair and/or replace the jigsaw mats. Check, repair and/or replace the badminton nets and set some aside for club use. There is a recurring problem with vandalism of the swimming wrist bands. We re happy that on the whole you feel safe and secure when using the facility. We are aware of the issue with wrist bands, and take action when able, but in the meantime we are trying to ensure that there are always sufficient fit for purpose wrist bands for our customers. We welcome your reports when you experience or observe any vandalism or unacceptable use of equipment. 6. Current environmental conditions (pool temperature etc) You said that the temperature of the pool at the (HLC) is too cold for children to swim in, and that the temperature in the Queen s Park Sports Centre (QPSC) showers fluctuates and is sometimes too hot for children to use. The water temperature is normally 29.5 c, which is within the recommended temperature range. However, we acknowledge that because we have a single multi-functional pool at HLC, the temperature will not suit everyone. We have received some isolated complaints about this but on balance the temperature does seem suitable in most instances. For those who do require warmer water the smaller pool at QPSC is always maintained above 30 degrees. Despite our checks and controls we do experience occasional fluctuations in the temperature of the showers at QPSC if this occurs on your visit, please let us know so that we can take immediate action. 3

4 Comments and questions on the Queen s Park Sports Centre Project 7. College partnership Some were excited about the opportunity and felt that the Council should be looking at further partnership opportunities. However, there were concerns about customers and club bookings being displaced by College use. You wanted to know when and which areas the College would use. 8. Rebuild You were pleased that the Council has chosen to invest in leisure provision. However, you were concerned about what would be included in a new centre and what would happen to the existing site. You also expressed concern that the Council doesn t seem as one on this decision to rebuild the centre. You wanted to know about the size of the new facility and what would be included, and whether other locations had been considered. The College Partnership usage is limited to part of the sports hall and the outside games area for 32 weeks of the year (term time) during the daytime only. On average the current sports hall at Queen s Park Sports Centre has no bookings for approximately 60 per cent of termtime weekdays which means up to four of the six courts are consistently not used. And the centre s outdoor multi-use games area has, on average, no bookings for 80 per cent of term-time weekdays. This offers opportunities for greater use by the college. Evenings and weekends will not be affected. We will be working with the College, our other customers and the wider community to ensure that as far as possible, services during term time meet the needs of everyone, and disruption is minimal. The College have accepted the need for flexibility in their programming. The new facility is expected to include a mix of modern services and range of activities comparable to those currently provided; for example, sports hall, swimming, village changing, social areas etc. Our aim is for the new centre to provide improved facilities both in terms of quality and range where possible and affordable. Formal consultation will take place with the community during the summer to make sure that customer expectations are matched as closely as possible within what is affordable. The consultation will inform the facility mix - no final decisions have been made about what will be included in the centre. Other locations have been considered including the option to refurbish the existing centre, and the Annexe has been identified by competent advisers as the most suitable site. The current plans are considered to be the most appropriate and economic solution in the long term. 4

5 9. Consultation You were disappointed not to have been involved in the decision to rebuild rather than refurbish the existing centre. You were concerned that the information being sent out by the Council has not been detailed enough and did not understand why it is necessary to rebuild. You wanted to know whether it would be possible to have a referendum on the decision. Following the focus group a number of people said they hadn t realised the level of work needed to maintain / refurbish the existing centre and now support the decision. You felt that every one of our members is a potential champion for the service. Suggestions for the formal consultation included: Online information / surveys Static stalls with a representative in supermarkets, leisure centre etc. Accurate, consistent information. Having a positive and negative comments box at the centre. Council Members have arrived at the decision to build a new leisure centre on the Annexe site in accordance with Council Governance and relevant decision making procedures. We were pleased to note that with further information, a number of the group who previously preferred refurbishment, now agree with the decision to re-build. Information leaflets about the proposed centre have been produced, a new section has been created on our website at uk/qpsc and displays will soon be going up in both the leisure centres. We are developing an inclusive consultation process that will engage as many people as possible to inform the design. We will be listening closely and taking forward your suggestions to ensure the best decision is finally made on what is provided and to what standard. 5

6 Dates of next customer focus groups Friday 31 May 10am 11.30am Queen s Park Leisure Centre (Easyline Room) Friday 31 May 1pm 2.20pm Healthy Living Centre (Meeting Room) Leisure Information Exchange Mailing List: If you would like to join our mailing list to keep updated with the project, you can complete a form at or fill in your details below and hand them to the QPSC or HLC reception, or send them directly to Katy Marshall, Chesterfield Borough Council, Town Hall, Chesterfield, S40 1LP. Name Address Postcode Please tick this box if you are happy to provide permission for us to contact you with marketing information from Leisure Services. Your details will not be shared with a third party. 6