THE Gazette’s investigation into the losses being made by the council’s newly-built sports park understandably brought a huge reaction from readers.
The responses were mixed – many were surprised to see figures showing the facility is expected to make a £1.3 million loss since opening in 2021.
Others had praise for the facility but criticism of a perceived lack of PR which, some argue, has resulted in a dearth of interest from Colchester residents.
When the Gazette spoke to users of the facility, one said “there are still a lot of people that don’t know that it’s here.”
Benjamin DeRoché Pace echoed such sentiments on Facebook, saying: “I have been here a couple of times now… it is absolutely cracking, but, no one knows about the place.
“Terrible PR has taken its toll, it would appear.”
Other readers see missed opportunities – Essex has only two 50m pools, one in Basildon and one in Dagenham, neither of which are close to Colchester.
Laura Rowe said: “It’s a fantastic facility but they should have invested in a 50m pool in that great space they had.
“Desperately needed for aquatic sport covering the whole East region – such a shame.”
Eliza Bebb added: “Needs a swimming pool and spa area.
“When you see posts on the Colchester community Facebook site asking about gyms, this is always one of the features people are looking for.”
As for the location, it would appear the sports park’s position on the outskirts of Colchester is a double-edged sword – for those who drive, the facility is easily accessible from the A12, but for those who don’t, the sports park can be hard to get to.
Elisa Vasquez-Walters wrote: “I think it's a great facility, but for a non-driver, it’s difficult to get to and it is very poorly advertised.
“Such a shame it doesn't have a pool – somewhere the size of Colchester should have more than one municipal pool.”
Carolyn Last added: “Is it any surprise that something so remote, with no signposts, or advertising boards should be underutilised?
“It was never going to sell itself! There are no clues to it being there, let alone how you get to it.”
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