Disability Action Yorkshire Slams David Lloyd Leisure for “Backward Step” in £5m Refurbishment
Disability Action Yorkshire has expressed deep frustration over systemic accessibility failures at the newly refurbished David Lloyd York club. While the leisure giant has finally agreed to widen a wrongfully narrowed accessible shower door, the charity says disabled members are still being left behind due to unaddressed structural barriers and poor communication.
Andrew Simister measures width of new shower door at David Lloyd York - Credit Andrew Simister
Work to rectify the shower door - which was unexpectedly cut down to a width of 670mm during a recent £5 million "luxury" overhaul - is scheduled to commence on 13th July. However, David Lloyd has remained silent on a host of other serious compliance failures inside the venue, forcing disabled members to take to social media to demand their independence back.
A Battle for Basic Compliance
The barriers were initially exposed by Andrew Simister, a Trustee for Disability Action Yorkshire and a long-standing club member who uses a wheelchair when removing his prosthetic to use the swimming facilities.
Despite the scale of the club's refurbishment, the changes have introduced physical obstacles that didn't previously exist, representing a major backward step for inclusivity in the facility. Crucial issues that remain entirely unaddressed by the leisure chain include:
The Outdoor Sauna Steps: The entrance features two unchamfered steps measuring 20mm and 30mm, breaching Part M Building Regulations which state the maximum allowable threshold height is 15mm and must be rounded or chamfered.
Missing Safety Features: The newly refurbished accessible shower cubicle lacks a red emergency cord.
Loss of Autonomy: Wheelchair users have been stripped of their independence, requiring active third-party assistance simply to access the Spa Retreat and outdoor facilities.
Disability Action Yorkshire highlights that these errors should never have passed the design stage of a multi-million-pound project, stating that multi-national brands must learn to "get it right first time" rather than treating disabled access as an afterthought.
Statements from Disability Action Yorkshire
Andrew Simister, Disability Action Yorkshire Trustee and club member, said:
Andrew Simister at the threshold of the new outdoor sauna at David Lloyd York - Credit Andrew Simister
"I have lost my independence. Despite months of (largely one-way) contact with David Lloyd, I am still blocked from using the new outdoor sauna without assistance. Due to the two non-compliant steps, I need help to get in there. The reason I am speaking out is because David Lloyd have spent an eye-watering sum on this refurbishment, and they haven’t got it right. They have made it so that wheelchair users now need assistance which is a real indictment on their business. I don't think they expected anyone to challenge them on this. It also begs the question, how many other of their clubs are not compliant?"
Jackie Snape, Chief Executive of Disability Action Yorkshire, commented:
“We are extremely concerned that changes at David Lloyd York appear to have reduced, rather than improved, accessibility for disabled people. Alterations such as narrowing an accessible shower door and the absence of an emergency cord are not small oversights – they create real barriers and potential safety risks.
Disabled people exercise too, and inclusive access to leisure facilities should not be an afterthought.
It is disappointing that concerns raised have not been meaningfully addressed, and even more worrying that similar issues are being reported at other David Lloyd clubs.
We would urge David Lloyd to take these concerns seriously and are ready to support them to get this right.”
