A BASINGSTOKE swimming pool has been granted an excellent rating following an assessment.

The Aquadrome at Basingstoke Leisure Park has been upgraded from its previous rating of Very Good to Excellent after an inspection.

The review, which takes place every two years, began on April 13, just one day after the centre reopened its doors to the public following the easing of restrictions for indoor fitness facilities.

The NBS Quest assessment covers areas such as cleanliness and hygiene, community engagement and safeguarding, and involves leisure industry experts assessing facilities over a two-day period, using both mystery and announced visits, plus reviews of the centre’s digital presence.

The Aquadrome achieved an overall rating of Excellent overall, scoring well in the areas of cleanliness and hygiene, lifeguarding and managing the team.

Jimmy Miller, manager at Basingstoke and Deane Community Leisure Trust, which operates the centre in partnership with Serco Leisure on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane District Council, said: “Our improved showing is excellent news for the site and the people who work here. Having the review start the day after we reopened for the first time in many months was not ideal, but my team were well prepared and this has been borne out by the overall rating and some outstanding individual scores for those key elements we pride ourselves on, such as Cleanliness and Hygiene.

He added: “Customers have been flooding back to the centre, since we reopened, and soon they’ll be able to see us proudly displaying our NBS Quest certificate, marking out the Aquadrome as a facility providing excellence in the leisure sector.

“I’d like to thank my team at the centre for their work preparing to reopen and getting ready for the Quest team’s visit. It’s been a busy few months but the hard work’s been well worth it.”

Cllr Rebecca Bean, cabinet member for Borough Development and Improvement, said: "Taking part in sports and physical activity is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle and minimising the risk of developing serious health conditions.

“It is great news that the Aquadrome has been awarded an upgraded NBS Quest rating. This industry-wide assessment demonstrates the hard work of staff to welcome customers back after lockdown."

She added: “We know that some people may be worried about returning to activities that they enjoyed before the pandemic, but I hope the rating will reassure users that that the cleanliness and hygiene at the site are at a very high standard.”

Basingstoke and Deane Community Leisure Trust and its operating partner Serco Leisure manage Basingstoke Aquadrome, Tadley Health and Fitness Centre and Basingstoke Golf Centre on behalf of Basingstoke and Deane District Council.