The Government's best value inspectors have given Hertsmere Borough Council's leisure operations a clean bill of health.
As part of a Government review, inspectors visited the council's leisure centres and talked to staff, customers and managers.
They awarded two stars out of a possible three, and said the service provided was already good, and would probably improve.
The inspectors said that because over recent years the council had invested around £40million in its leisure centres, the service was of a high standard, and centres were widely used.
They added that the provision of facilities for disabled people at The Venue in Borehamwood was excellent, and that the staff at Hertsmere's leisure centres were enthusiastic and well-motivated.
But the report identified issues that Hertsmere's new leisure trust will have to overcome. It said there was no identified source of funding to meet the centres' maintenance and repairs, and that problems were already being experienced with the speed at which repairs were carried out.
The report acknowledged that there were problems with cleanliness and vandalism at the centres, and blamed the low wages on offer for cleaning staff for the problem.
October 31, 2001 16:35
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