Save Atherton Leisure Centre - Latest Comments

Re: Sign the E-Petition

Sadiq — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:55:44 -0000

It's impossible trying to book the badminton courts in other leisure centres. Only East Ham and Newham have courts left, thats only 12 courts altogether! Thats not enough to cater for the demand! I've been trying to book for almost 2 weeks now and still cant find a bookable time slot! Not to mention the increase in cost and cut in playing time by 20 minutes? Is this the type of legacy these olympic games are offering?

Re: Sign the E-Petition

Amanda Dushi — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:51:30 -0000

The goverment advices us to take more excercise,eat 5 aday .We cant be expected to take excercise in the smogged up poluted air and the new olympiks is not enough to fulfill all of thr boroughs needs.
We need this leisure centre to stay

Re: Contact us

Babyjalaybi — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:55:38 -0000

Backing this campaign 110%. Keep up the good work.

Re: Sign the E-Petition

Fesina — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:17:36 -0000

Save save Atherton everyone let's see new improvements and enjoy our centre.........

Re: Sign the E-Petition

Mazza — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:13:45 -0000

I have read the comments about the demolition. Agree that Newham should recall the specialists that were bought in to look at the asbestos, after all in the present climate Newham can ill afford to waste money.
I also agree with the comment regarding the use of the site as a money spinning car park during the Olympics. That would not surprise me, as it has been announced that Newham residents will subjected to 'temporary' parking controls during the Games, and no doubt we will have to purchase these to enable us to park outside out homes, or anywhere within the borough!

Re: Closure started early?!?!

guest — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 09:17:13 -0000

at the beginning of September spinning bikes were supposed to be brought to Atherton.What a fantastic idea was that! I was really happy as the only centre doing spinning class is 45min away from where I live.Few weeks after I hear the centre is closing.
GLL want to keep the centre,so do people around and fantastic fitness instructors that have been working and raising people's fitness level for years.
Why is concil against Everyone???

Re: Overview

Save Atherton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:42:14 -0000

We are looking into doing exactly that.

Re: Overview

Save Atherton — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:41:32 -0000

Dear 'Guest'
I will respond to each of your points, but it would be helpful if you read up a little on the situation to get a proper understanding of why the situation is wrong.

1. The pool does not require repair, it is only the pool roof that requires repair.

2. A couple of years ago the pool was closed to repair the roof. Asbestos was found and they spent a considerable amount of time and money removing and containing all asbestos. For Newham Council to now tell us that they were surprised to find asbestos in the roof is disingenous at best.
The original contractor should be called back to do the job properly rather than expecting Newham residents to pay to get the job done properly.
Interestingly, it wasn't until 1999 that asbestos stopped being used in construction, therefore any building built before this date is highly likely to have it.... are you suggesting we knock down all buildings before this date (likely to include your house btw)?

3. To repair the pool roof will cost £250,000. To build a new centre will cost up to £19 million.
- Which do you think is better value for money?
- Are you happy for your Council Tax to rise significantly to pay this £19million?

4. Building a new facilty is Capital Expenditure. Repairing an existing facility is Operational Expenditure. Two completely different types of funding.
Newham Council are duty bound; by law, to maintain 5% of it's budget for this type of Operational Expenditure, so the money is there already.
If Newham built a new facility, they would need to take out a loan. The interest on such a loan would add £1.5million per year to Council Tax's plus the £19million build cost.

5. Repairing the existing facilty will take a couple of months, building a new one will take a minimum of a couple of years.

5. You raise cash-back lockers and hairdryers as your main issues with Atherton. If that's all you can think of, I think they are doing a pretty good job.
By the way, don't expect cashback lockers in a new centre either and as for hairdryers, there are already five in the current leisure centre.... how many more do you want?!?!

As for a new facility, the Council's own report states that it is highly likely that they won't be able to find funding for a new facility.... so that looks very unlikely.... a perfect space for a block of flats perhaps?

Things are never as cut and dry as they seem, when you scratch below the surface.
If you want to discuss further, drop us an e-mail. We are more than happy to educate you further on why this decision is so wrong (saveatherton@gmail.com).

Re: Overview

guest — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:39:40 -0000

I appreciate the effort to try and have a leisure centre in E15, but you are aware that there's asbestos and what not in the current (very outdated!) one that makes it unsafe as it is posing health risks, aren't you? Apart from the fact that repairing the pool (and in the future upgrading other facilities that are falling apart due to their age) would probably cost just as much money, if not more. So when you say there's no funding for a new centre, how do you think they'd repair the old one? The only possibility would probably be private funding, donations and such. And even then I'd much prefer a newer, safer and more convenient (Really, no cash-back lockers and no hairdriers? No way I'm going there in winter!) centre.
The only issue really is that it would take time to be built, but probably not much more than having everything repaired.

Re: HUGE thanks to SEL Trade Services Ltd

Michelleturnernewham — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:48:40 -0000

Thank you SEL Trade Services for helping the people of Stratford!

Re: “Save the Atherton” – radio segment

Tor Cromwell — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:31:48 -0000

To add insult to injury: 'Swimming scheme launched in Newham' - http://tinyurl.com/6etavj2

Re: Overview

Tor Cromwell — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:20:05 -0000

Is it not possible to get the building listed, then they will not be able to demolish it. Just a thought

Re: Overview

D Leach — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:01:40 -0000

Minutes of a council meeting on 22 September [PDF] make clear that "at present there is no identified capital funding for the new facility [to replace the Atherton Centre], and no external investment has been secured". It adds that "here is significant risk that the capital financing will not be secured for a replacement facility".

Council officers also acknowledge that there is insufficient capacity within other facilities in the borough to cope with the closure of the Atherton Centre - there will be severe problems in accommodating the School Swimming Lesson Programme that currently uses the Atherton pool to full capacity, as well as 81 private swimming lessons and aerobics classes, fitness sessions and football clubs.

The Atherton Centre has approximately 240 000 visits a year, 23% of the borough total visits to Leisure Centres. Its loss, with no concrete plans for a replacement, will have a significant impact on leisure facilities locally and it will cost local taxpayers £80,000 to decommission the building. The planned closure also seems to have been in part influenced by the end of the current contract with Greenwich Leisure Ltd, who currently tun the centre. Meanwhile, the planned opening of the Olympic Pool to the public is not due to take place until 2014. So what happens over the next two years?

Re: Overview

Lis — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:56:20 -0000

The councils PR line is that a new pool will replace the Atherton but they have publicly stated in a council meeting that they have no funds to meet it. There will be nowhere to go, the other centres are full, the Olympic pool is without a shallow end and does not open till 2014, it will be privately owned and unaffordable to local people. The council still have a chance to redeem themselves. They can listen to public opinion this Saturday at the Atherton Leisure Centre and reconsider their plans and their position.

Re: No cash for Atherton?

Saf — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:58:39 -0000

Totally agree with you. The mayor is a hypocrite, and he should leave now. He seems to be untouchable in Newham; this must change! A big disgrace he is i say. How sad is it that where we have the Olympic park, less than a mile away we have a local leisure centre being forced to close.

Re: E-Petition now on-line – please help by signing.

__A_YAHOO_USER__ — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 18:22:05 -0000

I am Newham resident and living in Stratford, I used Atherton centre once a week for gym and I am very surprised to hear that the Council has decided to close it down. Why can't they listen to the people voice? It's time to wake up and for once to stop this closure.

Re: Overview

Simon — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:56:42 -0000

The phrase "speaks with a forked tongue" means to deliberately say one thing and mean another or, to be hypocritical, or act in a duplicitous manner. In the longstanding tradition of many Native American tribes, "speaking with a forked tongue" has meant lying, and a person was no longer considered worthy of trust, once he had been shown to "speak with a forked tongue".

In public the Mayor says: "i think our residents deserve a completly new fully accessible facility complete with pool;
In private the Mayor says: 'There is a significant risk that the capital funding will not be secure for a replacement facility'