Council looking at ways to improve swimming provision
FYLDE councillors are still considering ways in which swimming provision in the borough can be maintained and improved after 2008.
Since the question mark was thrown over the future of St Annes pool at the budget meeting in March the council has been exploring every opportunity to deliver swimming lessons and public swimming in ways that will not have a continuing financial burden on the council tax payers of the borough
In recent weeks the YMCA has been responsible for the day to day management of the two swimming pools at no extra cost to the council. This agreement has been necessary to ensure that staffing levels could be maintained through a period of uncertainty.
Swimming has suffered a national decline in popularity over a number of years and Fylde's pools have cost the authority around 930,000 per year to operate.
A number of options are currently under consideration. One of these involves the Fylde Coast YMCA and could provide a new pool facility on a new site. Another option would enable a local group to operate the existing Kirkham Baths as a community funded facility. A further option being considered is to mothball St Annes pool for the immediate future with the scope to reopen the facility if a suitable investor or operator could be found. However, at this point no financially viable offer has been made.
Coun Simon Renwick, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Tourism said: "We are leaving no stone unturned to find a cost effective way of providing a swimming service for the future in Fylde. We will work with any suitable organisation that can demonstrate that it can run the pool effectively.
"So far, no companies or groups have been willing to take on the pools without a hefty council subsidy and, with such poor grants from the Government, the Council doesn't have that level of subsidy; particularly taking into account a climate of rising costs and reduced attendances. The solutions we are exploring need to be sustainable and cannot expose the council to greater financial risk."
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Weather for Lytham
Wednesday 30 May 2012
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