Decision to 'mothball' pool at Sutton is 'shameful'

10:06am Thursday 10th January 2013 in News By Reader letter

'Mothballing' of pool 'Mothballing' of pool

ON Tuesday, November 6, 2012, the St Helens Star reported that St Helens Council had announced they were conducting a consultation over a proposal to "mothball" the swimming pool at Sutton Leisure Centre.

The news article written at the time included a statement from St Helens Council which stated the following and I quote: "The pool is mainly used by schools and the provision of swimming lessons.

“Should the pool close, school swimming and swimming lessons would be transferred to the newly refurbished Parr Pool which now has a new teaching pool to add to two other pools at the new look centre." On January 9, 2013, St Helens Council's Cabinet members were due to hold their next meeting.

Item 10 on the agenda was due to be a report from Mr Bob Hepworth Director of Urban Regeneration Housing and Culture, titled, "Sutton Leisure Centre-Closure of Swimming Pool" Item 2.6 and Item 2.7 in this report both indicates and suggests that school swimming lessons have already been switched from Sutton to Parr swimming pool and that St Helens Council now intends to close rather than "mothball" the swimming pool, and further plans to restrict the opening hours of Sutton Leisure Centre from 4pm-10pm on weekdays and only open it on weekends to accommodate events as required.

None of this was included or mentioned as part of the consultation process, which looks to be completely meaningless in the light of the report, as it appears a decision has already been made to turn Sutton into a part-time Leisure Centre.

We all know money is tight and Councils are having to deal with cuts, but the lack of openness about the full nature of these plans is shameful especially considering the Cabinet was also meeting to discuss the new Health and Wellbeing strategy for St Helens at the same meeting.

Anthony Wilson, Marshalls Cross Road, Sutton, St Helens

Comments(15)

Sankey says...
12:41pm Thu 10 Jan 13

ThIs situation does not seem to have been handled very well does it? Could not the head of public affairs got involved this person with pension is on over £100k and I would have thought presenting in the right way these situations to the public is what this all about. It's accepted the council is having to take some tough decisions which are never going to be popular but the council always seems to shoot itself in the foot there is also the possibility they simply don't care what the public thinks. In which case just what is the point of them they exist to serve the public nt themselves

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pitbullboxing says...
3:03pm Thu 10 Jan 13

This council handles nothing well. Apart from stealing taxes to hand them out to those who least deserve it .

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mikeperry109 says...
4:38pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Why should we be surprised at the duplicity of Rimmer and her merry band of overpaid officers and lackeys that are also known as Labour councillors? They have run this town into the ground over the past 20 years, so expect nothing else.
The real culprits in this sorry saga, however, are the electors who return the same useless people year after year.

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pitbullboxing says...
5:45pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Spot on Mike.

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Sankey says...
6:14pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Mike whats your views on st helens councils balance sheet see other thread and the apparent £200m of liquid reserves they are holding which so far rimmer has neglected to mention in her rantings in the star

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smith&weston says...
9:34am Fri 11 Jan 13

It's such a simple political ploy and the sheep fall for it every time. Rimmer tells us that because of the nasty Tories, they've no money to run the pool so it will have to close. Not our fault she and her followers bleat.
If this council agreed to keep the weekly brown bin round, it could get 10 million off the govt for doing so. That would keep the pool open. However, it's nasty Tory money so they can shove it. It's just point scoring all the time by Labour party's lackies who don't give a fig about this towns inhabitants.

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mikeperry109 says...
10:45am Fri 11 Jan 13

smith&weston wrote:
It's such a simple political ploy and the sheep fall for it every time. Rimmer tells us that because of the nasty Tories, they've no money to run the pool so it will have to close. Not our fault she and her followers bleat.
If this council agreed to keep the weekly brown bin round, it could get 10 million off the govt for doing so. That would keep the pool open. However, it's nasty Tory money so they can shove it. It's just point scoring all the time by Labour party's lackies who don't give a fig about this towns inhabitants.
You have hit the nail firmly on the head - yet the people of Sutton will no doubt put another Labour councillor in come election time. Pretty depressing, but as I have said, the people of St. Helens have the council that they deserve.

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jumper says...
7:20pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Need a new way of conducting council business, far to long for the same type making the same wrong decisions.Nothing as worked in the ways a town should be run .

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jumper says...
10:38pm Fri 11 Jan 13

There is nothing to see are be seen what has been done to improved the town in anyway that I have noticed,even law and order seems to be a lottery cannot rely on regular enforcement of the same problems.

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chasmcn says...
7:12pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Live in Rainhill? Eccleston Park? Why do you need municipal facilities ? We just need your tax to help the other areas out

Cheers Pit thanks for helping me and the peeps of Newton out

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pitbullboxing says...
11:02am Sun 13 Jan 13

Newton is a lovely place.

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WolfieSmith says...
11:34am Fri 1 Feb 13

mikeperry109 wrote:
Why should we be surprised at the duplicity of Rimmer and her merry band of overpaid officers and lackeys that are also known as Labour councillors? They have run this town into the ground over the past 20 years, so expect nothing else.
The real culprits in this sorry saga, however, are the electors who return the same useless people year after year.
Well said, now why don't you do something about it?

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WolfieSmith says...
11:38am Fri 1 Feb 13

Where is the alternative political party that are FOR the people of St Helens and AGAINST the likes of the self-serving Marie Rimmer and her sidekick Grunewald?

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mikeperry109 says...
12:58pm Fri 1 Feb 13

WolfieSmith wrote:
mikeperry109 wrote:
Why should we be surprised at the duplicity of Rimmer and her merry band of overpaid officers and lackeys that are also known as Labour councillors? They have run this town into the ground over the past 20 years, so expect nothing else.
The real culprits in this sorry saga, however, are the electors who return the same useless people year after year.
Well said, now why don't you do something about it?
Hello Wolfie - did all that back in the '90s and '00s. Even stood as a candidate for Parliament against the Tory turncoat Woodward who was parachuted in by the Labour Party. The people of St. Helens voted him in - which rather proves my point. It is time for the next generation to get off their arses and rid the town of Rimmer and the rest.

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WolfieSmith says...
1:12pm Fri 1 Feb 13

mikeperry109 wrote:
WolfieSmith wrote:
mikeperry109 wrote:
Why should we be surprised at the duplicity of Rimmer and her merry band of overpaid officers and lackeys that are also known as Labour councillors? They have run this town into the ground over the past 20 years, so expect nothing else.
The real culprits in this sorry saga, however, are the electors who return the same useless people year after year.
Well said, now why don't you do something about it?
Hello Wolfie - did all that back in the '90s and '00s. Even stood as a candidate for Parliament against the Tory turncoat Woodward who was parachuted in by the Labour Party. The people of St. Helens voted him in - which rather proves my point. It is time for the next generation to get off their arses and rid the town of Rimmer and the rest.
I stood in the last election in St Helens for UKIP so I know what you mean. The country needs a brand new party for the people, UKIP might be a breath of fresh air but still too Tory, like New Labour and the Libdems.

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