LEISURE centres across North Wiltshire are no longer the high earners they once were.

Even the flagship Olympiad in Chippenham is no longer doing as much as it once did to keep the finances of North Wiltshire Leisure in the black.

Research is now to be carried out among people living in the district to find out exactly what they want to see in the sports centres.

It seems that gyms are still popular but not so many people want to go swimming.

Of course children these days are very sophisticated.

When the Olympiad was built in 1989 it was at the cutting edge of leisure centre design.

Its pool complete with its flume ride was hugely popular with youngsters who got their parents to take them to Chippenham as often as possible.

But swimming pools have moved on since then. Children now want wave machines, rapid rivers and boats to ride down the slides.

They see what is available when on visits to other towns and other countries and are bored by the orange tunnel that Chippenham can offer.

Gyms are still big business but once again customers are becoming more and more demanding.

They want the latest, all singing all dancing equipment that tests every part of their anatomy while cycling or running.

They also want good changing rooms with luxurious showers and don't want to make-do with hair dryers that do not always work and grubby floors.

North Wiltshire Leisure knows it must move with the times if it is to keep its head above water financially and has the sense to ask its potential customers what they want.

But asking is only part of the battle. If it is to beat its cash crisis it needs to listen to what the people have to say and even more importantly act on those views.

Now is the time to show it is ready to move with the times and if that means spending money it must bite the bullet.