Richmond Council is asking local residents to have their say on the new Pool on the Park group exercise studio.

An application to build a group exercise studio, in place of the previous health suite has been approved.

The council says that the plans for the new group exercise studio will "enable greater community activity and improve access to services as part of the work to promote healthier, more active lifestyles for all residents."

The group excercise studio will hold 17 weekly health improvement classes, each with space for ten people. 

However, a health suite action group has been formed which objects 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.  

They also claim that Richmond Council has broken planning law.

Over the last 18 months, the Council has been gathering information for the development of its new Leisure, Sports, and Physical Activity Strategy, including obtaining insight from residents to understand the barriers they face in accessing leisure opportunities and facilities they could benefit from.

The proposed new facilities at Pools on the Park will support the delivery of schemes that will be proposed as part of the Strategy, such as Exercise on Referral and Active Living that aim to improve the health of those living in Richmond Upon Thames. 

This work forms part of the Richmond Moves campaign which aims to provide convenient resources that enable residents to become more active, more often.

Have your say here.