USERS of leisure centres across north Wiltshire are to be asked for their views on facilities as the organisation that runs them battles to lower its debts.

The customer survey will be carried out by North Wiltshire Leisure, the trust that took over the running of the district council's seven leisure centres as a separate non-profit making business in June 2000.

It recorded a deficit of £250,000 in 2002, a figure it managed to cut to £111,000 in less than a year.

But trust board member Gary Milne, who manages the Olympiad, in Chippenham, says finances remain tight.

He said: "We expect the deficit will have fallen again by the end of this month, but the fortunes of the leisure industry are suffering as a whole and we must now get back to providing what our customers really want and need if we are to protect our future business."

Not long after opening in 1989, the Olympiad was regularly attracting between 750,000 to 800,000 visitors annually. But that figure has plummeted as the popularity of the swimming pool has been replaced by other entertainments, such as bowling and cinema.

Mr Milne said North Wiltshire Leisure has also been hit by a 260 per cent rise in insurance costs since the September 11 terrorist attacks.

It also lost £40,000 in income following the three-month closure last year of the swimming pool at Calne's White Horse Leisure Centre for roof repairs.

The trust receives an £800,000 a year grant from North Wiltshire District Council.

Mr Milne said: "The council has been kind to us this year and has frozen the grant, but our problems are still there and need to be dealt with.

"Massive investment is needed. Just sitting in the Olympiad cafeteria, looking at the windows and the carpets, I am aware of how much money needs to be put into the centre.

"My staff work very hard, but if a customer comes in with a view to buying a membership and sees a bad carpet it might change their mind that could mean £300 lost automatically."

Despite the problems, Mr Milne says the Olympiad's staff remain committed to the success of the centre.

"The staff here are all in it for the long haul and want to provide the best service they can," he said.

"I have been honest with them and they know the situation.

"I have told them, that much the same way that people live on their credit cards, we are operating alongside our debt and I know they are working as hard as they can to provide good standards."

On the upside, the Olympiad still retains relatively healthy membership figures.

"The gym is doing well, having had a £1.5million refurbishment last year and we have plans to expand it," said Mr Milne.

"But it does need a new air conditioning system, which will cost a lot of money.

Mr Milne says the consumer research will place an emphasis on providing what communities want. "Up until now, all our centres, including Calne, Chippenham and Corsham have been run in the same way," he said.

"But what people want for their leisure centre in Corsham is not necessarily what they want in Chippenham.

"We want to return the Olympiad to being a leisure centre for the community with more services, better surroundings and more events, but this all costs money."

North Wiltshire district councillor, Toby Sturgis is also a board member of North Wiltshire Leisure.

He said: "The leisure world is very competitive and one must deliver what the customer wants if one is to succeed.

"Therefore I welcome the plans for customer research and I believe there is a great future for the Olympiad and the other centres."