The Cabinet is asked to note any announcements made by Members of the Cabinet.
Minutes:
The Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Health and Well-being made the following statement with regard to the positive steps being taken following a recent case of Legionella at Walton Leisure Centre:
“I would like to update Cabinet on the works currently underway at Walton on the Naze Lifestyles following the site’s closure due to a discovery of Legionella.
As Cabinet will be aware following a reported suspected case of legionella at the new facility at Walton, urgent action was taken to both close the facility and to address the matter. I am pleased to say that the customer who was affected has been discharged from hospital but is still recovering. He has been back into the centre to see staff and I am sure that all of Cabinet would join with me in wishing him a speedy and full recovery.
Carter Environmental Ltd was brought in last week to carry out a comprehensive survey of the water system at the centre and this water treatment specialist firm reported back to a team of senior officers last Friday and now a programme of alterations has begun.
Carter Environmental Ltd has been engaged to project manage the works and to supervise all necessary actions to ensure that we have a zero tolerance of legionella at this site before any consideration is given to reopen. The main issue was found to be with the cold water pipe and potentially the new showers serving the new gym. One of these showers has been taken away for further examination. The pool has been found to be unaffected by the bacteria.
A full chlorination of the entire water system will take place once all the work has been completed and independent systematic testing will then be undertaken before the showers and the complex is opened for use.
We are working closely with both Public Health England and with the Health & Safety Executive, both of whom have been supportive of the actions we are taking, and we will continue to take their advice whilst works are progressed.
The replacement of all the showers is the major part of the job but it is also likely that changes to the internal cold water supply pipes will need to be made to ensure that they are not affected by heating and hot water systems. It is anticipated that the site will reopen as early as possible in January but no date has yet been set as all systems will be independently tested to ensure that they meet the highest possible standards or cleanliness and safety.
I would like to thank customers who have been very understanding and supportive of the actions we are taking and I can assure them that their health and safety is our only consideration at this time and we will not reopen until we are 100% certain that we can guarantee this.
We are taking this opportunity to retrain staff and ensure that rigorous management systems are in place and whilst there is no suggestion of any issue at any of the Council’s other sites an independent and comprehensive check is going to be put in place to confirm that the highest possible standards are being achieved across all our leisure centres and I understand across all of the Council’s facilities.
Until a full review of the exact cause of the problem is identified I am not in a position to provide further information or to speculate on further resultant actions, as I am sure that Cabinet will appreciate my primary focus is currently on resolving the issues at Walton.”