Campus chaos as residents air frustrations over swimming pool bookings

THE process for booking swimming sessions at Melksham Community Campus has come under fire, with residents complaining that the online booking and telephone system makes it too difficult to book.

Melksham Community Campus opened on 1st August last year with a state-of-the-art leisure facility including a 25m pool and learner pool but a number of residents have reported difficulties with booking to use the swimming facilities.

One resident told Melksham News, “I am really frustrated with how difficult it is to book swimming at the new campus pool. When I went to book online for a family swim session for 2 adults and 2 children, each individual needed a separate booking with their own account, requiring an email address, including ones for the children. Surely you can’t expect children to have their own email addresses. It’s just so complicated. If you just turn up without a booking, like we used to do at the Blue Pool, you run the risk that the session is fully booked, particularly if you want to use the trainer pool where the spaces are limited.

“I have also struggled to get through on the phone to book a session that way; it either rings or goes to voicemail. The campus has been open long enough now for issues like this to be sorted.”

Other residents have also taken to social media to share their concerns. One complained “I’m so disappointed with it all too. I have only made one visit since the new arrangement because it was so much hassle.”

Another added, “The community campus has introduced these needlessly complicated hoops that only serve to put us off ever using it.”

Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for leisure, cllr Ian Blair-Pilling said, “There is no requirement to book swimming at any of our leisure centres, people can just turn up, but pre-booking is available to allow customers to book and guarantee their space as a result.

“We recognise that the online booking system for swimming sessions, particularly family swim sessions, is quite long-winded at the moment, as the system requires each user to have their own account. We are working with the software supplier to provide an improved and simpler-to-use process whereby you can book multiple people into the same session through a single Leisure Hub account.

“Reception is manned at all times, but there may be times when staff are busy dealing with other customer enquiries, resulting in a longer wait than we would like. We have introduced self check-in kiosks for pre-booked sessions, to help take the pressure off reception when people are arriving for sessions.

“We are also aware of a high telephone call demand on the centre and we’re doing the best we can to answer all calls, or provide a response to those that leave a message as soon as possible.”