Swimmers at a popular South London lido have hit out at dirty floors and broken showers, which they say are putting people off visiting.
Brockwell Lido in Herne Hill is a popular destination for fitness fans and people wanting a dip in hot summer months, but some regular customers say they are fed-up of poor maintenance which they say is ruining the centre.
Some regular users complain about faulty showers, dirty floors and surfaces and tired gym equipment that is in dire need of replacing.
They say conditions at the lido, which also includes a gym and hydrotherapy pool, took a turn for worse during the pandemic and have continued to deteriorate despite people raising concerns with operator Fusion – who the site is leased to by Lambeth Council until 2028.
Ben Longman, chair of Brockwell Lido Users Group, which represents swimmers and gym goers at the centre, said Fusion weren’t spending enough money on the lido’s upkeep.
He said: “It feels like they are under investing in the site. They’re letting parts of the site deteriorate. The pool floor is not clean. The changing rooms have problems and need fixing. Some of the showers don’t work. The gym equipment is deteriorating. People don’t want to do yoga on a dirty floor.
“We believe things have got significantly worse since the pandemic. Users raise these complaints and they’re not dealt with in a reasonable time frame. We think it’s a financial decision that’s been taken. The staff are great. It’s not bad management.”
He added that sections of the pool were often closed during peak summer hours, apparently due to a lack of lifeguards. Meanwhile casual users of the lido were put off from visiting due to the complicated booking system, he claimed
Mr Longman added: “It’s not open for long enough in summer and parts of the pool are closed. The booking system is quite difficult for people who aren’t regular users to navigate. You can’t just turn up on a hot day any more.
“Before the booking system long queues formed outside and people tried to get over the walls but there has to be a middle ground between that and turning the pool into a white middle class enclave for people who can book in advance.”
Sofie Jenkinson, who has been a regular swimmer at the pool for three years, said she’d noticed conditions at the lido deteriorate over the time she had been visiting.
She said: “The showers and the problems with the changing facilities and the cleanliness have got worse. You can’t wash unless you go to the gym side and you’ve got to walk through reception wet to get there so most people just go home.
“There are not enough lifeguards and they close the lido halfway through the day. Some people had bought their season tickets on the strength of the opening hours and they’ve cut them back.”
She added: “I’ve complained about things and they’ve not been repaired… Fusion are not investing in it. The staff who are there are doing their best but every time you go it feels a little worse. It’s not being treated as a community asset.”
Other users who contacted the Local Democracy Reporting Service [LDRS] about issues at the lido repeated concerns about broken showers, poor cleanliness and equipment that has reached the end of its life. Other problems people mentioned included: broken lockers, the booking system – described as “confusing” and a lack of space in the gym.
Fusion said Brockwell Lido attracted up to 2,000 visitors a day during peak summer months and as a result of this posed “maintenance challenges.”
A spokesperson said: “To ensure we can offer the best visitor experience our full-time cleaning team carries out daily inspections and regular overnight deep cleaning of the changing rooms and toilets throughout the peak season.
“We are aware of some equipment and lockers not working, and we are working with our suppliers to repair these as quickly as we can. We are also currently carrying out a significant upgrade on our showers and changing rooms, which has meant some disruption, for which we apologise.”
Lambeth Council was contacted for comment but hadn’t replied at the time of publication.
