Squash club pleased at leisure collapse (From Harrow Times)

Squash club pleased at leisure collapse

12:52pm Monday 29th September 2008

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THE coach of a popular local sports club has expressed his delight after plans to redevelop Harrow Leisure Centre collapsed.

Tony Morrison, a top squash coach for England who regularly leads training sessions at Harrow Squash Club, said the squash club was “very much pleased” that Harrow Council had abandoned its controversial leisure plans.

He said: “We received the official statement, and the squash club is of course very pleased with it’s content.

“It is surprising that the credit crunch, causing so much personal financial hardship in the community, has brought with it a silver-lining for Harrow Leisure Centre.”

The council's much maligned plans to demolish the centre, in Christchurch Avenue, and replace it with a newer, but smaller, sporting facility fell apart last week because of the falling price of land intended to fund the new development.

Initial plans for the new centre had just two squash courts, down from the current eight, and were met with dismay from players who feared the club would not have enough space to practice in, and would be forced to move away from the borough or close completely.

After protests and an avalanche of pressure, the council increased the number of courts to four in the plans, but the squash club remained unhappy that provisions for the sport were being cut in half.

Mr Morrison led the criticism of the council saying he, as a member of Harrow Sports Council, had not been consulted before the ideas for the new leisure centre were announced.

He said: “We are still extremely disappointed that the correct outcome did not come about by the council listening to the community outcry and pleas against the development plans.

“It is hoped that any future plans will be with the support of the community, for the community, with the financial benefits to developers and the council not the main priority.”

He added the current facilities have been allowed to deteriorate.

Chunks of the squash courts’ walls have fallen off, and a large window which was broken in the middle of last year has still not been fixed, and Mr Morrison called for money to be spent on bringing the leisure centre up to standard.

In recent months, complaints have flooded into the Harrow Times about the hygiene levels in the swimming pools and the falling standard of the leisure centre as a whole.

Councillors will now face increased pressure to urgently spend money on sporting facilities in the borough, with the prospect of a radical overhaul of leisure facilities seeming increasingly unlikely.

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