One of the few remaining groups could disband due to fee hikes at Places Leisure facilities
ONE OF the borough’s few remaining squash leagues could soon be disbanded if court fees rise, players have warned.
From next month, members of St Crispin’s Leisure Centre will have to pay £5.50 for every off-peak court booking they make.
Until this point, the courts were free to Places Leisure members before 5.45pm, said Nick Dyer — who uses the facilities five times a week.
As a retiree, he told Wokingham.Today the new charges will set him back an additional £1,000 per year.
And this is on top of the rising monthly membership fee, which he said will increase from £35 to £40 from Tuesday.
“We feel like they don’t want us, they’re pushing us out,” he said.
The squash league at St Crispin’s is one of the last remaining contests in the borough, Mr Dyer said.
“There used to be three courts at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre, but they were closed permanently when it was refurbished.
“The league there packed up completely. A few came to St Crispin’s, but most just stopped playing altogether.”
With just two courts left across the five open Places Leisure facilities in the borough, Mr Dyer said their 50-strong league is hanging in the balance.
“We’ve got some promising young players,” he said. “They’re not all old folk like me.
“Gyms don’t like squash courts, they don’t create a good revenue per square foot.”
When the price increases, players will stop coming, which would eventually lead to the courts being closed, he believes.
To make matters more frustrating, the facilities have seen little investment over the years, Mr Dyer said.
“The front wall has chunks of plaster falling off it,” he said. “Every so often they get someone in with polyfiller, but that just comes out. They need to replaster the whole wall.”
He said there are also “dead boards”, where the ball no longer bounces on the floor due to the alignment of the planks.
“I’ve been moaning about those for at least three years,” he added.
“As a gym user, you don’t pay extra on top of your membership. As a swimmer, you don’t pay extra on top of your membership. So why are we — when they don’t provide any other facilities apart from the room.”
Dhowal Dalal, who has been playing in the St Crispin’s league for five years, also fears many could give up on the sport when the new fees start next week.
He said: “There is rising anger among many members of this proposed change to our membership contracts and Places for Leisure is already receiving complaints.
“It is unacceptable that court users should bear this increase when members using the other facilities can make virtually unlimited use of facilities at no extra charge.”
The last time he visited for a match, Mr Dalal said he had to sweep the floor himself, as it was covered in dirt and debris.
Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure at the borough council, said the leisure operators have been in contact with members.
“We have asked them to carry out a consultation with those affected members by these changes during the next few weeks,” he added.
A spokesperson for Places Leisure was said price changes and membership benefits have been aligned.
“As a goodwill gesture to members the legacy pricing that was in place from the previous leisure operator was honoured while improvement works were carried out across the Wokingham contract,” they said.
“The price change relates to the removal of this legacy pricing as we aim to harmonise pricing and create a fair and transparent pricing structure for all.”
