Kenilworth woman disappointed with council after not moving evening aquafit classes to Abbey Fields

A Kenilworth woman has expressed her disappointment over the district council's decision to not move its evening aquafit sessions to Abbey Fields' pool while St Nicholas Park's pool in Warwick is closed.

Ruth Colgan, who has attended the sessions in St Nicholas Park held on Mondays and Wednesdays for around eight months, thought the council’s forward planning had been poor.

Although opening times at Abbey Fields’ pool will be extended to cope with the rise in demand, the council were unable to fit the aquafit sessions in, meaning users will have to look to finding sessions at other pools.

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Ruth said: “They’ve told me I can go on a different gym course, but the reason I attend aquafit is because I hate all that gym stuff.

What St Nicholas Park's new leisure centre could look like once work is completeWhat St Nicholas Park's new leisure centre could look like once work is complete
What St Nicholas Park's new leisure centre could look like once work is complete

“Because I live in Kenilworth and I’ve got a car I could go to Tile Hill - but most of the people on that course live in Warwick and some of them don’t drive.

“If they’d always keep two out of the three in use they could have pulled together something better for us.

“But Abbey Fields is now full with other bookings - I think there’s been a lack of planning.

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“Had they gone with the original plan and done one centre and then the other it would have been better.”

What St Nicholas Park's new leisure centre could look like once work is completeWhat St Nicholas Park's new leisure centre could look like once work is complete
What St Nicholas Park's new leisure centre could look like once work is complete

A spokesman for Warwick District Council said: “We have done our best to relocate as many sessions from St Nicholas Park and Newbold Comyn to Abbey Fields during the pool closures.

“Unfortunately, we have not been able to relocate the two evening aquafit classes from St Nicholas Park to Abbey Fields due to existing bookings.

“We will be adding links on our website to other local pools who offer aquafit classes so that customers can consider using a different pool during the closures.”

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St Nicholas’ pool will be closed from Sunday December 11 until November 2017 while the improvement works take place.

And Newbold Comyn’s pool, along with the rest of the centre, will be shut from Tuesday January 3 until June 2017.

The council has provided links on its website to pool timetables for Warwick School’s swimming pool, Southam Leisure Centre, Stratford Leisure Centre in Southam, Freedom Leisure in Warwick and the pool at Warwick University for people who are looking for other pools to use during the closures.

When the announcement of the planned closures was made, head of cultural services at the district council Rose Winship said: “We’re just going to have to brave this one out.”