Derry Councillor raises concerns over Brooke Park Leisure Centre changes

People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin spoke of the ‘frustration’ of members of the facility in Rosemount Avenue.

He said: “I know that council is keen to get our leisure facilities open and we are eager to get people back using services again and generating revenue, with workers going back to what they are skilled at doing.

“I’ve had a lot of Brooke Park Leisure Centre members in touch with me, scores of them to be quite honest, frustrated about a change in services there and I believe quite a few of them have been writing to council asking for an explanation as to why there has been a change in some of the services being offered.

“They have been telling me they have been turning up for classes and classes are cancelled, there are small numbers where the classes used to be packed.

“I believe some people are unfortunately withdrawing their membership from the council leisure centre which I feel, given our push to get revenue generated again, is not very good at all.

“I’ve been in touch with officers about this and since then I have had more Brooke Park service users in touch.

“I think we need to start addressing this and I think we have to be doing our best to keep our members, many of whom have been there a long, long time. 

“Now is not the time to be driving people away to private gyms especially when the council has put so much effort into getting people back around.”