Gym user complains about ‘dirty and rundown’ leisure centre facilities

Mark Owen, who pays £60 a month for him and his wife to attend Berkhamsted’s Sportspace, says the facilities have been allowed to deteriorate.

“They seem to be running it into the ground,” said Mark, who has also contacted Dacorum Borough Council’s environmental health department.

“This has been ongoing for some time and it seems to be getting worse and worse. It is not just a person having an off day,” he said.

Surveyor Mark has snapped pictured of rusting pipes, dirty floors, stained and missing ceiling tiles, out of order showers, mould in the sauna and blocked drains.

The Northchurch householder who tries to get to the gym three times a week, said: “Hemel has been done up and it’s very nice and I don’t know why they have decided to do nothing at all at Berkhamsted.

“I have written to Sportspace but I haven’t had a response. No-one seems to be interested in doing anything about it.”

He is now considering leaving the leisure centre, where he uses the gym, swimming and health centre facilities. “If it carries on like this I will leave,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m paying my membership for.”

Sportspace runs leisure facilities on behalf of Dacorum Borough Council including centres in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Kings Langley, Little Hay golf Course and the XC at Jarman Park.

Spokesman for Sportspace Elise Hyslop said: “The sports centre building in Berkhamsted is over 20 years old and we recognise it is need of investment. But we would like to reassure our customers that we maintain very strict cleaning schedules, which are undertaken on a daily, weekly and annual basis.

“In addition, we invest in external consultants who audit us on compliance of our health and safety system. Sportspace Berkhamsted has consistently improved and achieved an outstanding score of 92 per cent in June of this year. We also invest in a mystery shopper programme to ensure that we are maintaining high standards.

“In the last year, we have invested over £30,000 in new equipment, redecoration and energy-saving devices at Sportspace Berkhamsted, and there will be further investment in the very near future.”

Dacorum Borough Council confirmed that it has received a complaint and said it is investigating.