Sutton Council has asked operator Everyone Active to review its procedures after complaints that women and children are being confronted by men with “masses of lather”
Customers at a Sutton leisure centre are being asked to keep swimming costumes on in communal showers following complaints that children are being confronted with men washing their genitals.
A number of complaints have been raised about the “poor design” of the communal shower area at the Sutton Council-owned Westcroft Leisure Centre, which some users feel should be segregated for men and women to ensure privacy.
Sutton Councillor Nick Mattey said the issue had “caused a really big stink” but could be easily resolved by the council and its leisure operator, Everyone Active.
Cllr Mattey received several separate complaints about the poolside showers, which have been in place at the Carshalton leisure centre since 2013. “You have people going in there facing women and children and giving their genitals a good washing,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
He said some of the complaints he received were from mothers who attended the pool with their children. “Can you imagine you are taking a five-year-old kid in there and you have got some bloke with masses of lather?”
The LDRS spoke to one Wallington mother who learned to swim at Westcroft and now takes her children for family swims at the pool. The woman, who asked not to be named, said: “There are often some elderly gentlemen there who pull their shorts down and wash their privates.
“It’s just about people feeling uncomfortable, and it’s not good for young people either.”
She said she understood why some people chose to do their “daily wash” there, given the cost-of-living crisis and rising water bills. She also understood people wanting to clean off chlorine after a swim.
However, she said privacy should be an option in the communal shower area, pointing to nearby Waddon Leisure Centre, where swimmers can use separate private showers.
“That way you have the privacy and you’re not exposing yourself,” she added.
The mother, who said some of her friends had also made similar complaints, said she believed the issue was one of “poor design” rather than down to individual behaviour.
While Everyone Active runs the facility, Sutton Council pays the cost of any improvements on site.
Cllr Mattey, of the Beddington Labour Co-op and Independent group, said: “All they would need to do is put a dividing wall in there and then you have a dividing wall for men and for women. It’s well within their remit to do it. It’s not exactly rocket science.”
This week, Everyone Active informed members that Westcroft’s wet-side changing area would close for up to eight weeks while the flooring is replaced. Swimming will continue as normal, but the changing cubicles, showers and hairdryers in the area will be unavailable during the works.
The Wallington mother told the LDRS that the investment in the flooring was welcome, but said the works also presented an opportunity to address the shower issue.
“I get that it must cost a lot to maintain a swimming pool, but it would be good to look into that issue,” she said.
Sutton Council has since confirmed it has asked Everyone Active to review its facility procedures to “ensure Sutton leisure centres are safe spaces for everyone”.
Everyone Active Contract Manager Rebecca Eyles told the LDRS that the operator takes the privacy and safety of all customers “extremely seriously”. She also stated: “Customers are asked to keep swimming costumes on while showering.
“They are expected to behave in a considerate manner and inappropriate behaviour towards other customers or colleagues will not be tolerated. Anyone with concerns around this is encouraged to speak to our colleagues.
“The wet-side changing village includes communal shower facilities, as well as an individual accessible shower within the accessible changing room. Our colleagues regularly monitor the wet-side changing village, with increased staffing during peak periods.
“We will continue to monitor use of the changing facilities, ensuring they remain welcoming and comfortable for everyone.”
A spokesperson for Sutton Council also said it “takes concerns about privacy and safety extremely seriously”.
They added: “Inappropriate behaviour towards other customers or colleagues will not be tolerated.”
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