Drowning in objections could lead to Pool Reprieve (Fylde Liberal Democrats)

Fylde Liberal Democrats <info@fyldelibdems.org.uk>

Drowning in objections could lead to Pool Reprieve

March 31, 2008 9:35 PM

Pool Closure Protesters Rumour has it that a high-powered 'secret' meeting' has been called for on Friday to develop a rescue package for St. Anne's Pool. Several interest groups have been invited and surprisingly even the Cabinet members who proposed closure in the first place, but as usual, Opposition Councillors have been kept in the dark and denied access to the meeting. This is despite earlier calls from the Opposition for a cross party group to be convened in an effort to find a solution which would avert closure. More .......

Thanks to the volume and intensity of protests by residents pressure on the Tory group has been immense. It is said that one councillor wouldn't venture out in Lytham for fear of being accosted by local residents angry at the pool's imminent closure!

Now a Public Relations exercise could well be on the cards to try to rescue the situation but how can anyone ever trust the Tories again after this debacle ? First it's the proposed closure of two pools, then its only one pool that will close, then it's a massive overspend and now, after heads have been 'banged together' by senior figures, St. Anne's pool could possibly survive for a little longer ! The Liberal Democrats insist that local leisure facilities must be retained for the benefit of ALL residents.

If such a turn around does materialise it is the pressure exerted by the local electorate and Opposition councillors (inc. the Libdems) who brought it about and they rightly should claim the credit, not the political group that voted for the closures in the first place.