APPALLED parents have blasted a decision to close a children’s crèche at a gym that will stop them from working out at the fitness centre.

Parents were told that from September they will no longer be able to drop off their children at the play session at Castle Place Gym, leaving many with childcare issues.

The gym is run by Places for People on behalf of Wiltshire Council which said the facility would close because it was not “financially viable.”

A 12 month review into the service found that numbers of users had dropped off at all four sites running the service in Melksham, Chippenham and Malmesbury as well as Trowbridge.

However Father Andrew Harrison visits the gym five times a week and says that the service is always well used when he takes daughter Verity, four, to the gym. He will no longer be able to continue this once the crèche facility closes down.

He said: “Everyone is appalled by it and they are still in shock. We were not told this was going to happen, the first thing we knew was when the girls who work there told us, and they told us they had now been made redundant.

“They have persuaded Places for People to stay open until September so the children going to school will have a smooth transition but this is through the staff not taking their holiday and going above and beyond.

“It means I won’t be able to use the gym anymore because I won’t have anyone to look after my daughter during the week.

“Wiltshire Council say they want people to get active but shutting the crèche down goes completely against this.

“I have spoken to other parents who have already cancelled their memberships because of it.

"The girls who work there have done wonders for my daughter in terms of confidence, manners even small things like putting her shoes on."

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: “Following a review of their creche provision, Places for People Leisure Management Ltd has taken the difficult decision to no longer provide this service.

“Level of usage has declined significantly over a period of time which does not make the service financially viable and therefore a sustainable option.”

Places for People Leisure run the service on behalf of Wiltshire Council and said, “Due to the continual reduced demand, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw the crèche service from the facilities we manage in Wiltshire. The crèche service has become increasingly underused and, despite our efforts to increase usage, it is no longer sustainable.”