The Pools on the Park Health Suite Action has accused Richmond Council of breaking planning law over planned health suite renovations. 

The council proposes to build a group exercise studio, which will hold 17 weekly health improvement classes, each with space for ten people. 

The new studio will cost around £140,000 to build, with minimal running costs. 

Until 2020, the space was used as a health suite which featured a sauna, spa and steam room.  

The action group are objecting the conversion based on five objections, including a broken commitment that no decision would be made on its future until the leisure strategy work was complete, a misuse of allocated funding, claims that the council ignored residents' views, misrepresentation of data and that committee members were poorly informed by the council.  

In a new release (from January 3 2024), The Health Suite Action Group now claims that Richmond Council broke planning law.  

Pools on the Park is a Grade two listed building, making it a challenging building as certain rules must be followed. 

Pools on the Park opened in 1966 – the health suite action group said: "It is considered to be one of the finest surviving examples of public swimming pools from that period. In 1967 it was awarded a Civic Trust Award for its architecture and in 1996, it was listed as Grade II by English Heritage (now Historic England) as a building of national architectural and historic importance." 

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The Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 states that any alterations to Grade Two listed building require planning permission through the local authority, in this case Richmond Council.  

In their statement, the action group said: "In July 2022, the Council decided to remove the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room equipment and strip the room back to bare floor and walls.  

"So you can imagine we were gobsmacked to recently discover that the council had NEVER actually applied (to itself) for planning permission to do these alterations as they are required to do by law." 

They added: "This is quite extraordinary and is just another example of the council not adhering to rules for the ongoing health suite saga." 

The Health Suite Action Group have filed a breach of planning control complaint against the council on this matter.  

Richmond Council has been approached for comment but have not yet responded.