A valuble resource for the people of Plymouth
The website may have been quiet over the past few months, but we remain busy behind the scenes. As reported in the Herald, a meeting is being arranged between representatives of the “Save Seaton Pool” campaign and representatives of Plymouth City Council’s Conservative leadership. At the time of the local elections in May, we were sent a letter promising that a site for a new swimming pool in the north of the city would be identified within three months of the Conservatives winning control of the Council. Several months have now elapsed, so the purpose of our meeting will be to discover what progress has been made. Please continue to watch this space for updates!
Well, the election results are in and “they” are out. The Labour Party majority on Plymouth City Council has been overturned and the Conservative Party are in the majority. We believe that the extremely bad showing of the Labour Party in the Plymouth area is due to a large extent to “their” grossly flawed decsion to close Seaton Pool. Long may they their treachery be remembered and punished annually by the voters of Plymouth. We look forward to what the new council can do for swimmming and public swimming pools in Plymouth. We also look forward to next years’ elections when more of those who agreed with, or acquiesced in the closure of Seaton will hopefully be thrown out of office. We also would ask the new Council leader to review the actions of the South West Regional Destruction Agency and certain Plymouth City Council officials in the shabby betrayal of the people of Plymouth regarding the seemingly inexplicable and rushed closure of Seaton Pool.
The local elections on Thursday May 3rd give an opportunity to kick out the Labour councillors responsible for closing Seaton Pool. Many wards are expected to be very closely fought, and a single vote could make all the difference in some areas of Plymouth.
We believe that a power change within the Council would give the best chance of replacing Seaton Pool quickly. Please note that this website is not associated with any political party. We just want a Council that will rapidly improve swimming facilities in Plymouth. To read our thoughts about the local elections and the candidates please click here.
Anyway, no diggers yet to be seen at the proposed Sharron Centre (yes, he must be going gaga to suggest such a name). However, the people of Plymouth do have two signs, one on Outland Road and one on Alma Road that promise the Sharron Centre in 2008. Probably this will be late 2008 of course and we may find that we can live with just the signs rather that the fully fledged Sharron Centre. Whoever suggested those signs really is a nutter. Pictures (of the signs) soon.
What we also have is the letter from the Big Lottery fund that rejected the Big Life centtre (this was the one that was going to cost twice the price of the Sharron Centre). It was not released at the time, but has now been obtained by use of the Freedom of Information Act. A pity it was not written in English but our translators have had a go at it and the short translation is that “Plymouth City Council you are incompetent and cannot put in fully thought through lottery funding bids. Also, we think you are really only concerned about elite athletes rather than the people of Plymouth.”. How much money did this incompetent bid cost?
Rejection Letter from Lottery
Linked to the letter above, the Herald ran a story. See the Herald story by clicking here
Local elections on the 5th May. You know who not to vote for.
You could not write a farce that matches up to Plymouth City Council’s incompetence. First they close Seaton Pool and then they close Plympton for 6 weeks for repairs. Now we hear that Central Park is to be closed for 6 weeks at Christmas. All the time we look for the signs of diggers digging holes for the new Life Centre. None have been seen as yet, but an awful lot of column inches have been taken up in the Herald talking about it. In an extract from a recent issue of the Herald we have Mary O’Leary questioning whether it would not be better to build a real Life Centre before naming it. With the near magical powers that Tudor has discovered in naming the Life Centre the “Sharron Centre” it is becoming more obvious each day that he is wasted in the outpost that is Plymouth. National politics needs Tudor more than we do in Plymouth. Also, in the letters column of the Herald the bickering goes on but as we said earlier, no diggers have been seen at Central Park yet.
Mary O’Leary in 22-3-07 Herald
As we said earlier, on the 28-3-07 the Herald reported that Central Park was to close for 6 weeks at Christmas, leaving just Plympton pool open. Crazy people these councillors! The only consolation is that elections are due in five weeks. Below is Herald report on the Central Park closure and another Herald letter.
There are some contrasts in this posting. First of we carry a piece from the Evening Herald that was written by Mary O’Leary. In it she bemoans the lack of swimming facilities in Plymouth. Yes, just about right there. Mary also takes to task the South West Regional Destruction Agency for knocking down Seaton Pool and Plymouth City Council about the never ending stream of swimming strategies and the mythical life centre that never seems to get very far. Yes, just about right again but it does keep PCC employees busy.
The next item is how the 10 Downing Street website has a petition on that is dedicated to saving local pools. Go and try it, sign the petition and keep your fingers crossed.
Prime Minister’s website petition on swimming pools
However, do not be too hopeful. When you actually get hold of him and ask about Seaton pool face to face, the answer is “Nothing to do with me (but I am extremely concerned)”.
Scientists have established that 10% of global warming is due to the hot air coming from Tudor Evans and Plymouth City Council on the subject of the Life Centre. It might even develop into a new spectator sport (a bit like Sumo but more likely to end in a heart attack) where fat men bluster to the press. Since the bumper swimming pool edition of the Herald more and more people have noticed that Plymouth is one or two swimming pools short of a full complement. First of all (thanks to the Herald) we have a letter suggesting something is done (other than more hot air production).
Then lots of people joined in. Some saying the north of the city is best, some saying the Life Centre is best (more hot air but no action)
Then it seems that when the going gets a bit tough, 20 million pounds (yes pounds!!) can just be cut from the Life Centre cost. Amazing… Then some people say that we should not go for a cut price Life Centre. Lots of talk but no action as usual.
Comment in the Herald
Only the best will do for a Life Centre
Then finally we get back to basic premise. This is that Seaton should not have been shut and Tudor Evans and his cronies should be ejected from the Council as soon as possible for carrying out such vandalism.
It almost seems that the Friday 12/1/2007 edition of the Herald was solely devoted to the failures of Plymouth City Council and the lack of swimming pools for the people of Plymouth! First of all the front page news was that the Conservative group had withdrawn support for the Life Centre and were proposing a 50m pool in the north of the city. This site does not have a view on which is the best option. This site seeks to publicise the stupidity of Tudor Evans and his cronies in shutting Seaton and urging more swimming pools for the city of Plymouth. However, it needs to be said that the Life Centre has been talked about for 15 months and it always seems that things are not quite right just yet. Trust us (they say) and things will be wonderful soon. Why should we start believing you Tudor? With thanks to the Herald, here is the front page and other pages covering the story.
The Herald also covered the Council report on swimming and swimming pools. Apparently 6 new ones may be needed. Probably best to round it up to ten and possibly get a discount. Why did they close Seaton, and what are they actually doing about building just one replacement?
More pools needed (but none available to use now)
There was also a large selection of letters on Tinside in the same issue of the Herald and we include these as well.
Tinside letters
Finally, the Herald covered a trip to London by a group of Plymouth people to meet Tony Blair. At the meeting questions were asked about the dismal provision for swimming in Pymouth and the closure of Seaton.
Remember that Tudor Evans and his cronies closed Seaton and have only produced hot air regarding the disgraceful lack of swimming facilities in Plymouth. Why should anyone trust them?
Yes, next week Plympton pool closes for 6, 7, 8 or more weeks, depending on who you believe. That leaves just Central Park (with its occasional technical difficulties) available as a public swimming pool for 250,000 people. Just put it down to good planning by Plymouth City Council. With thanks to the Herald we carry a letter pleading for more pools for the city of Plymouth below. The first half of the second Herald story (28/11/06) is OK and details the forthcoming closure of Plympton. The writer then totally runs out of ideas for the second half and seems to unquestioningly regurgitate some wonderful things about Plympton pool that the nice man from the Council told him. Read it and see what you think. Finally there is a Webword extract suggesting that Seaton should have at least been kept open until Plympton repairs were completed. Too simple for Plymouth City Council.
There has been a lot of swimming pool related news in the Plymouth area over the last week or so. The first bit of news is that the long awaited swimming strategy for Plymouth will not be available until 2007 (if it ever arrives). If it takes a year for Plymouth City Council to produce a piece of paper, how long for a swimming pool? With thanks to the Evening Herald we reproduce the story below. Looks like there are going to be swimming pools everywhere. The second item is a letter from some opposition Councillors regarding the “down side” of the proposed Central Park works. We carry this story below as well. The next item is the text of an ongoing discussion on the letters page of the Herald betwwen Mr Briggs and Mr Newman. Mr Newman’s opening letter to the Herald was carried earlier on this website. Here the “spat” goes on. We think you are both right; it is the lack of swimming pools that is the problem. Finally, we have a communication in the webword of the Herald from “Colin of Eggbuckland”. Yes, Tudor probably does regret closing Seaton. If only he could have had enough foresight to have thought ahead, he could have avoided the festering sore he has created.
Pool Strategy story (Ho, ho, ho)
What is the problem with the SWRDA and the Plymouth area? Closing swimming pools and destroying communities initially, and now destroying jobs in Saltash. Do they do the same in Exeter? The Herald carried the story about the SWRDA destroying jobs (which we reproduce below) and we know about the swimming pool. Another lot closing swimming pools is Plymouth City Council. After Seaton, their next pool that they are closing (albeit only temporarily) is Plympton. Only one council run pool left for Plymouth for at least six weeks. Again the Herald carried the story which is reproduced below. Where are people going to swim? Possibly Central Park? No, by the sound of the letter in the Evening Herald you cannot even swim at Central Park. This is because it closes for galas. See again the letter below. No swimming pools but in five or six year’s time we may have a life centre (ho, ho, ho). There is (according to the Herald) still life in the Life Centre idea. The fact that it will not be available for five or six years does not seem to matter.
SWRDA destroying local jobs story
Some people are still not happy about Seaton Pool being closed and the lack of swimming opportunities in Plymouth. How could this be? People are still writing letters to the Herald and complaining. Tsk. Also, the Evening Herald this week regurgitated the same old rubbish about the Life Centre. Perhaps there could be a survey of the people of Plymouth to see how many people believe the failed politicians with their plans that are likely to come to nothing (at least in the near future).
Same old regurgitated rubbish about the Life Centre
The wooden wall is still up at Seaton Pool and many of the people of Plymouth have no place to swim. See the link to the latest letters in the Evening Herald complaining about the overcrowding at Central Park. Plympton Pool is coming closer to the planned 5 week shutdown over Christmas so it will be even more crowded at Central Park. The plans for the 50m pool seem to be dead in the water (if that is possible for swimming pool plans). Well done Tudor Evans. Well done Peter Smith. Well done Plymouth City Council.
Are you still listening Tudor? Only we were wondering when the masterplan for swimming in Plymouth was going to be available? Rumour has it that the plan (ho ho) will not be available until after Christmas (ho ho ho). I wonder if anyone believed the council when they said it would be available in a few weeks. Anyway, it does not seem to be one of your top priorities.
On another point, we are planning to hand out leaflets outside the new Drake’s Circus shopping mall on a Saturday before Christmas. Please email us via the “Have your say” page on this website if you can help (obviously we will not publish your words).
Finally, what about the planned shutdown at Plympton pool? What are all the swimmers going to do then? Plympton will, we are being told, be closed for 5 weeks for repairs. There is (supposedly) something nasty living under the tiles in the men’s changing room that is making a smell. Who could it be? Answers on the “Have your say” page please.
Normally the Herald gives a fair and balanced view of Plymouth City Council incompetence. However, on page 4 of Saturday’s Evening Herald there was a grovelling piece on how wonderful swimming is in Plymouth since Seaton closed. Do PCC have to pay for this type of advertisement? And does anyone believe it? Probably not (and hopefully not, because that will make the remaining pools even more overcrowded); and it devalues the other good work done by the Herald. Why does the Herald not do a story on swimmers suffering one of the crowded public sessions at Central Park?
Anyway, the quality of writing goes up on page 5 and there is discussion on the masterplan for swimming that may or may not be ready any day now. However, can anyone believe anything Plymouth City Council say (if they ever get round to saying anything constructive)? If they could plan, or wanted to plan, they would have done so before shutting Seaton. This would have allowed an orderly changeover. Now we have grossly overcrowded pools at Central Park and Plympton, and we have the council frantically trying to agree what to do now their life centre plans are dead in the water.
The misrepresentation of the facts is again repeated in Saturday’s Evening Herald editorial. Yes, the people of Plymouth know that Central Park and Plympton exist and provide opportunities for swimming. However, they also know that the pools are overcrowded and in many cases decide that they are too crowded to have an enjoyable swim. Many then sit down and switch on the telly/computer/playstation.
Another fine day’s work by the SWRDA. So let’s get this right, we have the SWRDA who are funded out of our taxes knocking down (desperately needed) Plymouth swimming pools whilst they (mostly) live and work in the Exeter area. Let us hope that the political wind changes and the overblown bureaucracy that is the SWRDA is disbanded and destroyed in the same way that Seaton Pool has been destroyed. Until that day we will keep watching and publicising their excesses. Anyway, with thanks to the Evening Herald we reproduce the story and pictures of the big diggery thing and the story about the long awaited plan for Plymouth swimming pools (There are rumours that this plan will be published soon).
Evening Herald front page 8-9-06
Evening Herald story about pool plans 8-9-06
We also have the story and pictures from the Evening Herald on Saturday that shows the destruction. Additionally, we have a letter from the Evening Herald that covers the disgraceful state of the remaining swimming provision in Plymouth and the suggesting that the remaining Labour councillors are voted out as they come up for re-election. I’m sure we will. I’m sure we will; mostly because the issue is a real one and will never go away until there are sufficient swimming pools within the Plymouth area.
Evening Herald story 9-9-06 (top half)
Evening Herald story 9-9-06 (bottom half)
Finally, we bring you a selection of views of the vandalism being carried by the SWRDA’s contractors up at the pool. (Warning: These are large images! Please be patient while they load.)
Picture 1….Picture 2…..Picture 3….Picture 4….Picture 5….Picture 6….Picture 7….Picture 8
Nobody, it would seem. So the big diggery thing for knocking down swimming pools has been stuck up at the pool for a week whilst the gas is being turned off. However, we can report that there was a protest against demolition up at the pool. This protest was carried by Carlton Westcountry television news. We also carry the link to the Evening Herald story:-
Evening Herald story on protest
We also carry the link to an Evening Herald letter from CF Bassett suggesting that the Labour majority are not really interested in swimming pools, only by elections. Never.
Among the other things to report is that Exeter (headquarters of the SWRDA) has announced plans to build a 50m pool at Clifton Hill. Looks good and will probably be successfully built. However, what about Plymouth? Yelverton will have a 50m pool before Plymouth at this rate. Read more at:-
So the SWRDA knocks down a Plymouth pool whilst presumably all its employees in Exeter are getting quite excited about their new 50m pool.
And to think we almost forgot to include the story in the Evening Herald on 18-8-06 about the Fat Cats of the South West Regional Destruction Agency. We carry a link to the online Herald and also a transcript (just in case the link disappears). There seems to be an awful lot of money sloshing around at the SWRDA!! A £20,000 bonus here; a £170,000 salary there and before you know it the trough is empty. The SWRDA spokesperson lamely explains that their targets have been met. A statue or two purchased at exorbitant cost. A swimming pool or two closed. A local Plymouth community destroyed. Worth every penny of the £20,000,000.00 running and administration costs (funded by our taxes). How dare anyone say that the SWRDA is ineffective!! See for yourself by trying one of the links:-
Link to the fat cat story online
Text of the fat cat story in the Evening Herald
Chaos still reigns in the remaining swimming pools of Plymouth and thanks to James Worrin for writing to the Herald on 22-8-06. With thanks to the Evening Herald we carry his letter below. See also the “Have your say” page on this website.
And then we come to the weekly (or is it now bi-weekly) national obesity scare and how the government is solving the problem. This time the public health minister has been tasked with getting people to boost activity levels. A swimming pool would be excellent for this. Use the link below to the story on the BBC website.
Link to this week’s national obesity scare story on the BBC website
Finally we can report that the SWRDA have announced that Seaton Pool is to be demolished. We carry the story from the Evening Herald, along with a letter calling for more swimming facilities in Plymouth:-
Seaton Pool demolition story from Evening Herald 25-8-06
We will still continue with our campaign!
And as the realisation that Plymouth does not have enough pools (and is not going to get a 50 metre pool) sinks in we are having another try at saving Seaton pool from demolition by the South West Regional Destruction Agency. The Conservative group on Plymouth City Council have been in the front of efforts to save the pool from demolition. The Evening Herald reported on August 17th about efforts underway on behalf of the people of Plymouth. We carry the story below:-
Also, Viv Pengelly, Plymouth City Council Shadow Council Leader, has written to Richard Caborn MP, the Minister for Sport, asking for Seaton Pool to be saved. We carry the words of this letter in the link below:-
Luckily, the Department for Communities and Local Government has come to the aid of Seaton Pool. In accordance with the latest consultation document issued by the DCLG, planning permission is to be required to knock down, or change the use of any Sport and leisure building or facility. At the moment this document is out for consultation but we believe that the SWRDA is morally bound as a Government funded organisation to adhere to the new requirements from the date of issue. If not, the SWRDA will be able destroy many more valuable buildings in the South West before the regulations come into force. Any attempt by the SWRDA to knock down Seaton Pool now would be cowardly in the extreme and would be solely to avoid their responsibilities to the people of Plymouth. Follow the links below:-
Greater planning protections for sports buildings and Green fields - News release
Greater planning protections for sports buildings and Green fields - Consultation paper.
A big thank you must also go to the Conservative group on Plymouth City Council who are also fighting to save Seaton Pool from demolition. We reproduce the news release from the Conservative group.
Conservative group news release
We also carry a link to the latest Seaton pool correspondence in the Evening Herald
OK, hands up anyone who believed a single word said by Peter Smith and the rest of the Labour Councillors on the subject of the Life Centre. Probably not many of the people who read the pages on this website. So, Plymouth has now shut a viable pool at Seaton whilst hopelessly trying to get the money for a Life Centre. Yes, the Life Centre would have been wonderful but Seaton Pool could have been kept open until the Life Centre was available (or as it now seems the Life Centre never arrives). Now we are left with nothing (unless we re-open Seaton Pool instead of knocking it down). When will Plympton Pool need to go out of service for repairs? Where will the ongoing decay and degradation at Central Park Pool stop? With thanks to the Evening Herald we re-produce the story and editorial below.
Hopefully, those who believed even a little bit of their big ideas on the Life Centre will think twice next time. Do not shut one pool until the new one is available.
And so it has been announced that Seaton Pool will be demolished in the near future. With thanks to the Evening Herald we reproduce the story below. The final destruction of a popular and functioning community facility will be forever a stain on the records and consciences of those who allowed it to happen.
What use is the SWRDA? The SWRDA has £120,000,000.00 of public money (your taxes actually) to waste on their grand schemes every year, and it seems that all they can do is erect useless statues. Swimming pools (they say) - nothing to do with us! Statues - lets buy a few more!
And Plymouth City Council; next time you see a bus shelter with its glass strewn on the ground around it, think of the vandalism carried out at Seaton pool by the Labour majority grouping on the council. Their vandalism against Seaton Pool is much more serious than that against the bus shelter. They had choices they could have made, but choose to ignore the thousands of representations made to them by all the users of the pool. Why are the remaining pools overcrowded? Why have the over 50’s groups moved to Saltash? Because Plymouth City Council let down the people of Plymouth. We shall continue to remember this vandalism.
And so another week passes without any sign of building work at Central Park. Will it be in 2012 or 2013 that the Life Centre is available? In the intervening 300 or so weeks the users of public swimming pools in Plymouth will have to suffer overcrowding and inconvenient times. Why could the council not have kept Seaton Pool open until replacement facilities were available?
Anyway, we do have reasons to thank Plymouth City Council. It seems that childhood asthma is linked to the prevalence of swimming pools in the local area. The more swimming pools around means more asthma. Plymouth should therefore be almost asthma free! Follow the link to the BBC website for the full story:-
Link to BBC website story on asthma
However, there is a downside to the lack of swimming pools. Another story carried on the BBC website this week suggested that children need one and a half hours exercise per day. Without exercise children will get obese and be vulnerable to heart disease and other afflictions. For girls, swimming is the most popular form of exercise and so Plymouth City Council with its lack of swimming pools is not only letting down the people of Plymouth, but is additionally discriminating against girls. Here is the link to the BBC web page:-
The Council meeting on 11/7/06 did have, among the many items for discussion, a section on the proposed life centre for Central Park. Still in the realms of possibility of starting to move towards initial designs to support a future bid that may (or may not) get funding. In the meantime, the facilities at Central Park are degrading fast (according to Plymouth City Council) and there is no money being spent on them. I cannot wait for the year 2013!
We also have a request from the management at the remaining pools. Many people have been giving the managers a hard time. Yes, it is too crowded at many sessions. This is due to Seaton closing. Please do not give the pool managers a hard time; see your local councillor.
Back up at Seaton Pool, what is the slit in the wooden wall for? Is it for us to watch them? Or is it for them to watch us? Or is it for the postman? There is a picture of the slit below. We could not get a close up picture as there were lots of them watching us. Also, another picture showing the general view inside the wall.
The pool is still there. There is not much Life Centre building work going on at Central Park, although there was a story in the Evening Herald this week (the first mention about the Life Centre in local media for about a month). There is also a note from Fred on the ‘Have your say’ page of this website about the Council meeting that is due to take place on Tuesday 11th July.
With a bit of luck the SWRDA will not have enough money left to do anything with the Seaton Pool site as they now need to inject a few millions into the industrial wasteland of mid Cornwall where Imerys announced 800 job losses this week. Please throw your money at the Cornish, Mr SWRDA. They need your help more than we do.