While I am not averse to car parking charges being introduced at the Harrow Leisure Centre complex for those who seek free parking in the locality, I do think that those who use the facilities should be exempt from all charges. As the club administrator for The Borough of Harrow Swimming Club, I need to attend the premises at least three times a week and quite often work in excess of the two-hour free parking that would be permitted under the new proposals.

The club has more than 500 members — from four-year-olds to 70-year-olds — and we bring with us much-needed revenue to keep the facilities at the leisure centre open.

A number of our squad sessions, which includes both swim and land training sessions, are more than two hours in duration and parking charges would therefore be prohibitive for our members, who already need to pay squad fees, membership fees, training costs, monies for equipment, travel and competition. We would respectfully ask Harrow Borough Council and the leisure centre management to look very carefully at their proposals and would ask that they waive parking charges for leisure centre users.

Janine Barclay

The borough of Harrow Swimming Club administrator