One in five people who visited a Council leisure centre, such as Pools on the Park, came away dissatisfied following their last visit.

The figures come from official research by Richmond Borough Council which looked at the usage all of their facilities, including Teddington Pools and Fitness Centre, plus others Shene, Hampton and Whitton.

The survey, carried out be outside consultants, is part of an effort by the Council to understand what residents want and then improve the services, so boosting activity levels and the health of the population.

The survey was heavily skewed by the fact that most participants are already active, while those who took part were overwhelmingly women. There was also a focus group consultation with underrepresented groups including inactive people, young people and parent carers.

The figures come from official research by Richmond Borough Council which looked at the usage all of their facilities

Significantly, the survey found that 70 per cent were satisfied with the facilities on offer. However, the only way to get those who were unhappy to come back – and attract new people – is by improving their appeal.

Last month, Nub News revealed how a petition had been launched calling for improvements at Pools on the Park, which is the Council's flagship leisure facilities.

The petition raised concerns that it was dirty – particularly around the pools area – and that the gyms had old and outdated equipment. Users were also concerned about a lack of staff.

The specifics of the Council survey found that 37% were 'very satisfied' and 33% were 'somewhat satisfied' following their last visit to one of its leisure centres. By contrast, 9% were 'very dissatisfied' and 13% were 'somewhat dissatisfied'.

The study did not ask why people were dissatisfied, however the petition and other elements of the survey offers some insight. This found that the cleanliness of facilities was most important in terms of encouraging people to start doing more physical activity, ahead of a better range of facilities and improved facilities.

The Council said: "We are currently developing a new Physical Activity, Sport and Leisure Strategy for Richmond upon Thames to provide a comprehensive and collaborative approach to delivering sport and physical activity in the borough.

"Now that the data gathering is complete, the next step will be to review the information, produce options and draft the strategy itself, which we will also want to hear residents' thoughts on, in due course."

Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, Deputy Leader and Chair of the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Services Committee said: "We are very grateful to every resident that took the time to give feedback on their experiences of exercising in the borough and with using Council leisure facilities. It's great to hear that so many are happy with their experiences so far, and we have gathered lots of useful information on how we can improve.

"Being active is hugely important to both mental and physical health in the long term and we want to ensure that there are offerings that are suitably accessible and convenient for everyone in the borough to use.

"No matter your level of fitness or experience with exercise, there are options and support available to help you. Check out our Richmond Moves webpages to learn more about how you can start moving more!"

Richmond Moves - https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/public_health/your_health/healthy_lifestyle/physical_activity/richmond_moves_more

Leisure centres survey - https://haveyoursay.citizenspace.com/richmondce/leisure22/

Details of the petition: Petition · Improve the state of the local gym Pools in the park , in Richmond upon Thames. · Change.org