Crystal Palace Sports Centre closed for Olympics

[SydenhamHillAndy]

<rant>

I was surprised to find out via a link on their website that Crystal Palace Sports Centre will effectively be closed to users from the 16th July to the 13th of August. (only the gym and 25m training pool will remain open). On top of this the whole centre will be closed for the Diamond League Athletics meeting from the 13th to the 15th of July.

I was surprised to find this out as 1) I am a member there and would expect to be notified of this and 2) I have emailed two members of staff there to ask them this specific question. While I have received answers from them there was no mention of the upcoming upheavals.

Membership there is a mixed bag at the best of times as we get to use some great facilities but at the cost of regular closures for swimming meetings, handball tournaments etc. However, in general, the benefits outweigh the costs.

I thought you might enjoy this piece of drivel from their website on this issue. "gesture of goodwill" and "increased benefits" are particularly galling as they are no such thing. To clarify, myself and other members will be paying our £50 a month for gaining no access to facilities.

"Increased membership benefits

We will do everything we can to limit the inconvenience this will cause you. And as a gesture of goodwill, all pre-paid members of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre will be able to use any Better leisure centre within London at no additional cost between 16th July and 13th August 2012. If you are a Pay and Play member, you will be able to use any Better leisure centre within London at the advertised activity price. All you need to do, is produce your membership card. To find your nearest centre, just visit www.better.org.uk or ask at reception."

Are there any members out there who are also annoyed by this? Does anyone have contact names at GLL? I want nothing less than membership fees removed for this period of one month where there is no access to the centre. They are supposed to be a Social Partnership but this stinks of greed. Presumably they are being paid a lot of money by the Brazilians for the use of the Centre while also claiming membership fees from customers who have no access for 1 month.

<\rant>

[marymck]

Greenwich museums and planetarium similarly blighted by the Olympics. Till September though! I don't understand why so much disruption for so long.

[dmhawk]

This is not at all surprising. I was a member there for a few years but quit twice for similar rubbish (classes cancelled or moved, terrible communication with members, broken machines, long queues, etc... etc..)

Can't believe you are paying £50 though, I was paying about £30 and when they were doing refurbs and the gym was located in the lodge we had reduced fees... surprised they are at least not doing that.

Good luck!

[KM]

Interesting...we were told the same this morning at our swimming lesson, but it really does surprise me that there is no reduction in membership etc to paying members, so I'll be stopping my direct debit at the same time.
The closure also coincides with FH pools opening...I wonder if members like you will stop their membership at CP and join there instead?

[SydenhamHillAndy]

I chased them to send out an email which was sent out yesterday but it doesn't look like everyone with an interest received it. Here it is below. Please note the additional closures of the main arena now from the 9th of July.

There is an email address below - if you think this is wrong please do email them and perhaps we can convince them to see sense. Obviously happy to have the Brazilian team come and stay amongst us but not happy paying £95 (two memberships) for the privilege.....

***************************************************

I am writing to tell you about some changes that will be taking place at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre during July and August 2012.

Crystal Palace welcomes Brazil!

As you may be aware, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre has been chosen by the Brazilian Olympic Team to be its training base during the Games. This is a huge honour and reflects the international quality of the facilities we offer. However, this means there will be some unavoidable limitations on public use during the time the team is based here.

Increased membership benefits

We will do everything we can to limit the inconvenience this will cause you. And as a gesture of goodwill, all pre-paid members of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre will be able to use any Better leisure centre within London at no additional cost between 16th July and 13th August 2012. If you are a Pay and Play member, you will be able to use any Better leisure centre within London at the advertised activity price.
All you need to do, is produce your membership card. To find your nearest centre, just visit www.better.org.uk or ask at reception.

What dates and areas will be affected?

The Brazilian Training Camp will be based at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre between 16th July and 13th August. When you visit during this time, you may see more security and members of the press than usual, but please be assured we’ll do everything we can to limit the disruption to you.
During this time the following areas will be closed to the general public: The racing pool, teaching pool, diving pool, dome, north pitches and throwing area, squash courts, climbing wall, dry diving area, group exercise area, beach volleyball courts, indoor track and stadium, Lodge pitch, Lodge, Cheeki Café, Leisure College and the north balcony. The indoor 5-a-side pitch will be unavailable from 2nd July, and the main arena will be unavilable from 9th July.
You should also be aware that due to the London Grand Prix event (which we host annually), the entire centre will be closed from 12pm on 13th July until 9am on 15th July.

What will remain open?

The gym and the 25m training pool will remain open for public swimming between 16th July and 13th August. However, the customer entrance for the gym will move temporarily to the reception near the tennis courts, while the entrance to the training pool will be via the Leisure College side gate. If you aren’t sure where these are, just ask a member of staff.
A revised pool programme will be available shortly. For full programme information visit
www.better.org.uk/crystalpalacenationalsportscentre

Better times ahead

We’d like to thank you for your ongoing custom, and hope you’ll enjoy your extra membership benefits between 16th July and 13th August 2012. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Yours faithfully

Russ Barnes
Partnership Manager, Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
Email: crystalpalacenationalsportscentre@gll.org

[SydenhamHillAndy]

There is an article on page 5 of this week's South London Press about this. Not terribly well written but gets over the main points.

As I've been speaking to friends about this it is clear how many locals actually use the centre for swimming lessons, diving lessons, Kidz Klub etc and when speaking to them in each case the same issues come out:

1) they close the centre for the smallest of reasons. Swimming lessons cancelled three Saturdays in June for various activities. While some of the events are quite large I'm afraid I still don't respect Cheerleading as a valid sport that justifies closing areas off

2) they treat the public and members badly. From the reception staff to the extremely poor communications from management it is clear that the local public and members are bottom of their priorities

3) lack of accountability. Anonymous email addresses, poor response times to questions

4) their greed. Everyone I've spoken to is shocked that people are paying for membership when it is closed

I've asked for a meeting to discuss but no response yet. Please post below if you have any issues you would like to have raised. I've already got the article in the paper and I'm willing to take this to our local MP etc so please go ahead and rant below.

Thanks

[SydenhamHillAndy]

Latest feedback from Crystal Palace is as follows:

"with over 100 Better leisure centre available to members, it is likely that one or more of the participating centres will be closed or experiencing timetable changes at any one time. It would therefore not be feasible for the leisure trusts involved to offer complete price reductions when this occurs and historically this has not been the case"

"what we are not doing is forcing, by contract or any other means, any member to continue to pay us any amount for services they cannot use"

They have offered to put us on a different plan for the duration of the Olympics which would be a saving of £20 off the £95 or "as a gesture of goodwill" I have the right to cancel my membership.

I do not think that "gesture of goodwill" means what they think it means...

So, the battle continues.......

[Eagle]

I thought it was closing because the Brasilian Olympic Team would be based and train there.

[Duke of Clarence]

I thought it was closing because the Brasilian Olympic Team would be based and train there.

Quite right Eagle. The responses SydenhamHillAndy has shared here show that a standard response to the occasional closure has been taken out of context and presented as an excuse for not reimbursing those affected by NSC Olmpic closures.

The reasons for NSC closure to the public throughout the Olympic period and beyond are nothing to do with the claims that "with over 100 Better leisure centre available to members, it is likely that one or more of the participating centres will be closed or experiencing timetable changes at any one time"

NSC patrons are to be displaced to facilitate Olympic needs for which GLL will be handsomely renumerated. GLL should do the right thing and offer all displaced members free use of NSC facitlites throughout September or their money back.

[SydenhamHillAndy]

I'm not saying there's a link between the two things, but yesterday I emailed the Chief Executive of GLL and accused him of upsetting the local community (among other things) and today I see they have opened the stadium to the local community to see the Olympic Torch next week - free of charge....

No parking available but turn up early on a first-come first-served basis. Should be good!