The much-awaited and desperately-needed upgrade to Dovercourt Leisure Centre is now long overdue, to bring it up to the high standards of the very popular and successful Clacton Leisure Centre. Despite the town having waited for this upgrade for years, nothing has been done, even though it has previously been approved THREE times by Tendring District Council. 

 

The major upgrade plans were originally approved by the Tendring First-led coalition in the February 2009 budget and the money was set aside for the project. However, the Tory-led administration sat on these plans when they took control of the District Council in May 2009. 

 

Subsequently, in December 2009, the Tendring First-led opposition raised a motion to have the £842,000 upgrade of Dovercourt Leisure Centre reinstated. The Tory administration attempted to block the motion by raising a delaying amendment, but their amendment was lost and the motion to reinstate the upgrade was carried. 

 

 

In February 2010, the Conservative-led TDC Administration lost its budget and this was replaced by the Tendring First-led budget which re-introduced a £800,000 upgrade to the Harwich Sports Hall. Also, the Capital Programme (which included the Dovercourt upgrade) was confirmed. 

 

Despite the upgrade having been approved by the Council in full session and the money having been allocated in the Council budget, there is still no sign of the upgrade work being carried out by the Tory administration which has opposed the plans all along. If they hadn’t, all the work would have been done by now and local residents would be enjoying their own first class leisure facilities. 

 

The plans include: 

1. New changing rooms 

2. New pool ceiling 

3. Refurbished reception area 

4. Glazed screen for pool viewing 

5. A fully-accessible lift to the first floor 

6. Replacement lighting 

7. Substantial enlargements and improvements to the first floor Lifestyles gym 

 

The fully accessible lift to the first floor is essential to enable disabled people to access the gym. Currently, the lack of access means that some people referred to the gym by local GP’s are unable to attend sessions at the Dovercourt site and forced to go (if they can) over to Clacton. 

 

Thanks to the current Conservative and CRP Administration, the people of Harwich and Dovercourt still have second class leisure facilities, compared to Clacton. Now they will have to wait until after June 2011, when a consultant’s report on all Tendring’s leisure centres is due for completion. 

 

The residents of the Harwich and Dovercourt area cannot and should not have to wait any longer, if only because the money and the design plans for the Dovercourt Leisure Centre have already been in place for two years. Enough is enough!