I write with concerns over the ongoing changes that are taking place at Lux Park Leisure Centre in Liskeard. I have been a customer there for nearly 15 years and during this time have seen lots of change. These ranging from personnel changes, programme amendments, the introduction of new classes and even the switch from local authority to private sector and back to local authority to name just a few. Throughout all of the changes there have been some frustrating periods from a customer perspective but all in all these changes have not stopped me attending and even enrolling my children in the fantastic swimming programme which goes from strength to strength. All of the positives that I saw in the centre were only confirmed when the recent developments were unveiled and are now very apparent each time I visit the centre. The staff remain courteous and continue to strive to give the customers what they want in challenging circumstances. Over all the years I have been attending and throughout all of the changes that have occurred there is however a wonderful facility that always seems to be overlooked and for the most seems to me to be the hub of the centre for numerous activities. This is the 'coffee shop', probably the most difficult area to manage in respect to the amount of different events it caters for After all of the positives mentioned you can hopefully imagine my horror when visiting the centre recently to find that the coffee shop is now a coffee shop with offices, therefore losing half the fantastic view that the customers had over the countryside not to mention the space that has been lost for some of those customers. As if that was not enough I now understand that there are proposals to develop the whole of the external balcony just off the coffee shop to, yes, you guessed it, more offices! Not only will this deprive the customers of a welcoming outdoor area to sit and socialise and to allow their children to play in the fresh air safely, it will also deprive the coffee shop of practically all of its natural light. This to me shows a lack of thought and care for the customers who use this area on a regular basis. The developments to the gym and the addition of a multi-functional room and dance studio can only be applauded and for once I thought the council was moving in a positive direction for the good of the customers who pay their council taxes for such facilities. However, it now appears that the centre is being made into Lux Park Business Park. I can only hope that any councillor in their right mind can see that they will be stealing away a huge part of the centre's core and depriving users of a safe, healthy environment to unwind and relax after exercising. Please don't lose sight of who the centre is there for and for once it might be nice for the council to ask the customer what they think, maybe by way of a centre user forum for issues like this to be discussed, perhaps on the external balcony on a Saturday morning to show what a wonderful asset this area is the customers!

AN AGGRIEVED CUSTOMER