RESIDENTS have raised concerns about the state of Melton’s biggest aquatic and leisure centre, labelling it “unhygienic and filthy”.
Cambridge, Coburn and Watts Residents Association president Nathan Miles said uncleanliness at Melton Waves was constantly brought up at monthly meetings.
Pictures sent to the Weekly by the CCWRA show cracked tiles, exposed plumbing and overflowing rubbish bins.
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Mr Miles said some residents were avoiding the centre completely.
“This has been an issue for a long time, but it’s raised its head in the past two months at our meetings,” he said.
“There are doors that are rotten, holes in the walls, exposed plumbing or electricity and there are no shower holders for the disabled toilets, so they have to pick up the tap from the floor.
“One resident saw a pair of someone’s soiled underwear on the floor. It’s a disgrace.
“There are residents who refuse to go to the centre and that’s been made clear in our meetings.”
Residents are worried that people might fall or slip on food scraps that are being left on the floor and that food waste and rubbish could be entering pools.
The CCWRA is demanding action from Melton Council to have the centre cleaned up and repaired.
Mr Miles said he had not received a response.
Melton resident Michael Matalewski said the centre was not meeting the demands of a growing community.
“There’s broken tiles and rotten doorways, it’s just something that needs to be resolved. There’s mould growing between the tiles on the floor; people walk on those tiles with bare feet.”
The centre is owned by the council but managed by Belgravia Leisure.
Council’s leisure services manager, Adrian Burns, said refurbishment works totalling $250,000 were expected to begin in May.
He said money would be spent on internal and external painting, new carpet, upgrades to partition screens in family change rooms, and retiling showers in the family change area.
“Centre staff are instructed to complete regular cleaning throughout the pool hall to account for rubbish that develops throughout each day of operation.
“A minimum of three times each week the floor surface is pressure-washed with industrial cleaning equipment to remove any dirt ingrained into the floor surface.”
Melton Waves opened in 1995 and has seven pools and a fitness club.
