SIR,

While I have nothing against the council's attempt to renovate the changing rooms at Monmouth Leisure Centre's pool, it is obvious that once the contract had been awarded to the contractor, no-one took any notice of the comments made by the users of them.

So much for public consultation.

The changes have been made with no thought to either swimmers or females.

There is now less room for changing, and the process of coming in clothed, changing into one's swimsuit and back again is strewn with frustrating oversights, not least having to hop around puddles of black water barefoot, one's clothes falling on the floor because the lockers are right against the benches, and having to use the hand-driers because there is only one inefficient hairdryer.

Why, oh why did no-one sit down and talk with us regular swimmers?

We would have helped the contractror make sensible changes that suit the needs of the user, not just the pocket of the council.

It has been a disappointing return after a protracted period of works, and it didn't need to be that way.

We like the new tiles and sparkling grout, but what we really needed was common sense.

Suzannah Beatson-Hird

(Chepstow)