A frustrated gym member has hit out at the tired and sorry state of the Orchard Leisure Centre in Armagh.
Issues around the state of the Orchard Leisure Centre have been well documented in recent years, and to that end Armagh I reached out to Council for an update on the planned maintenance, last reported in October 2024.
To date there has been no movement – prompting one disgruntled user to contact this publication.
The man, who has been a long-term member of the facility, asked: “Why don’t the Council put any money into the building?”
He said: “There are tiles falling off in the men’s changing room, with mould evident in places. The steam room has been broken for the last three-plus years and there are tiles falling off in there too – it’s outrageous!
“Many people like myself have tried to reach out to the Council but nothing ever seems to come of it. It feels like they just don’t care about the building or what their members have to say.”
Dust gathered above a changing room locker in the Orchard Leisure Centre
Armagh I asked Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council for an update on the planned maintenance and what this will entail.
A spokesperson said: “Council has allocated £1.8m to carry out essential maintenance and upgrade work at Orchard Leisure Centre, which will include an extensive refurbishment of the health suite.
“Council officers are currently developing the terms of reference for this project, with the next steps being to appoint a contractor and agree a project timeframe.
“In the interim, we wish to reassure customers who use this leisure facility that we are committed to carrying out this work expeditiously.”
Speaking on the issue in October, Armagh DUP councillor, Scott Armstrong, said: “There have been a number of issues that have affected the full suite of facilities at the Orchard Leisure Centre site and I know that it has been frustrating for local users who have had to put up with faults that have remained unresolved for many months.
“The Council is preparing to invest in the site and I welcome the spend and, whilst people may argue that the money would be better spent on a new site, the reality is a new facility is some years away and the current facility urgently needs invested in to resolve the ongoing issues.
“I know that the last larger scale investment in the site did make important improvements, however, that was years ago and with the passage of time and the type of environment it is with humidity, high usage and all that goes with these types of facilities it has come to the time where again a more significant spend is required to prolong the life of the centre until a new facility is opened.”
