A valuble resource for the people of Plymouth
Now that Seaton Pool has been closed by Plymouth City Council and the pool/surrounding land has reverted to South West Regional Development (sic) Agency control you can have your say. Tell us what your think of the Council and the SWRDA and what you would like to see happen to each body. No bad language or libel please. Also, if you want to, say how the closure is affecting you personally. Just type your message to the Council and SWRDA in the box provided and send to us. We will post it on this site. Please give your initials and town/city. Please also leave your e-mail address in case we need to contact you - this will not be published. If you just have something to say to us and do not want it published, just tell us and say that it is not for publication.
Go down to the bottom of this page if you want to leave a comment and fill in the box provided.
Out of interest if the Pavilions fun pool closes where will the new residents in the appartments at millbay go swimming.?
I’m not into swimming but, as a very keen cyclist I know what it’s like to be passionate about a sport and an escape from everyday life.
Just giving my support to the cause and wish you guys all the best!
Let me know if I can help!
Someone calling themselves “lunarjetman” has asked to join Pooling Resources after seeing it mentioned on this site, but has not provided a valid e-mail address.
Please if you wish to join could you contact me through the Pooling Resources site and give me a few more details and an e-mail address where you can be contacted.
Anyone interested in campaigning to save pools is welcome to join, but as Moderator for the Group I need basic contact info.
Lack of swimming facilities in plymouth is back on the agenda with the propossed life centre still in the Background.
No doubt if the residents of plymouth where asked would you like a basic swimming pool in your area or a luxury pool at central park, the majority would go for a basic swimming pool in their area first then say look for something better.
For the cost of the proposed life centre you could have a few basic pools scattered around the city plymstock,
the north of the city, Devonport etc.
Maybe the City council should let the residents of the city vote on it.
THE CITY COUNCIL SAY ITS NOT OUR FAULT THE LAND WAS TAKEN BACK APPARENTLY … ITS SUCH A TERRIBLE STATE OF AFFAIRS ABOUT SEATON AS DIABETICS HAVE TO EXERCISE, PEOPLE WITH PAINFUL JOINS HAVE TO EXERCISE AND ALL WE EVER HEAR ABOUT IS THE STATE OF THE FAT PATIENT - WELL ITS NOT GOING TO BE EASY TO BECOME SLIM WITHOUT A POOL NEAR THE HOSPITAL. SHOULD WE ALL BE AFFLUENT WE HAVE A LEISURE CLUB NEARBY BUT WE ARE NOT ALL IN SUCH A PRIVALEDGED POSITION. THE SOUTH WEST AND THE NORTH EAST ARE NOT CARED ABOUT HEALTHWISE SO IT IS EASY TO TARGET THE WEAK, FAT, POOR AND ILL. THANKS TO THE CITY COUNCIL WE CAN ALL BECOME MUCH WORSE WITHOUT THE FACILITIES REQUIRED.
Evening Herald postbag 9th June There was a letter saying
that the swimming pool at Oreston School was to close
to make way for new kitchens.
If this comment is correct it is one more reason for
a public swimming pool to be built in Plymstock sooner
rather than later.
Sir/Madam,
Found your website today after searching for a local swimming near to where we are to be staying for our holidays. My feelings go out to all the local people of Seaton who have now been deprived of enjoying their fitness/funtime/learning for the all ages of the general public.
I ask you this…next time someone asks why we did not win medals in an olympic events for swimming tell them speak to the Plymouth City Council who shut your swimming pool down!
A town near a sea and you would expect that learning to swim could save your life if the pool remained opened.
I am researching a documentary for Channel 4’s flagship current affairs series, Dispatches, (working title ‘The Finishing Line’)about the 2012 London Olympics. The programme will look into the story of the budgeting of the Games and will also explore who stands to benefit from the success of the London bid. It will also examine what the likely legacy will be of hosting the Games.
The programme is being produced by Mentorn, one of Britain’s leading production companies. Mentorn has produced a host of award winning documentaries for all the UK’s major broadcasters including ‘Question Time’ for the BBC, ‘Big Ideas That Changed the World’ for Channel 5 and ‘Unreported World’ for Channel 4.
In particular I want to look at the effect the Olympics might have on other grassroots sports organisations such as swimming pools, in terms of the the increased diversion of lottery funding to pay for the Olympics.
I can be contacted on dbatty@mentorn.tv or on mobile 07798 750155.
Best wishes,
David Batty,
Producer.
In response to your piece “who has nobbled the Herald ?”The answer is no-one.The Herald could have saved Seaton.It chose not to.It is no longer a campaigning paper.The Editor is in bed with the party in power,and wished they hadnt saved Tinside.Unfortunately “The Voice of Plymouth” is a contradiction in terms.
Have started a new Yahoo Group called Pooling Resources for swimming pool campaigners and would like to invite the Save Seaton group to join; please log on to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/poolingresources and have a look at the home page.
Also, there is now an E-Petition you can sign on the Prime Minister’s website, about the need to save local pools
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/savelocalpools
so please sign and “save!”
Hi
I believe that the long awaited plymouth swimming strategy will be put before the full city council on monday 15th January at the council house plymouth.
Fred plymouth
First Ballards was closed, then Seaton Pool which is a disgrace. Yes Seaton did need some money spent on it, but how much did the feature (statue) cost on the mini roundabout outside the Seaton Pool, some greenery and flowers would have looked just as good as a feature and the money could have been put towards the renovation of this much used swimming venue. My children and my grandson have all enjoyed their times at Seaton with their swimming club over the years. Come on Plymouth City Council encourage our youngsters to exercise by providing facilities not taking them away.
I have only just read the comment sent into the Herald complaining about Central Park pool being shut for one weekend gala. All of the people at that gala had also been affected by the closure of seaton pool, look at Devonport Royal swimming club, they used to train there. These galas cannot be run in evenings as there are clubs coming from as far a field as Sheffield. Obviously the writer of the comment has any idea of the fact that Plymouth has one of, if not, the best swimming teams in the country, give us a chance to race at home.
I feel that Plymouth Council should have built a pool in the north of the city before it closed Seaton. The Government have many initiatives to get people, in particular young people, to exercise more. My daughter and I used to attend the aquafit session, these sessions have given her a lot more confidence in the water as well as giving her regular exercise. My son was also able to access the pool as it was in walking/cycling distance and now I have take him to the nearest pool at Central Park which means I have to drive him as there is no direct bus link - this now means that another policy is being broken as I am using my car. Why do the council not take any notice of government policies before closing such good and healthy provisions.
Hi
When is it planned to close the pavilians swimming pool
in Plymouth. ?
Fred
Could Denise or Colin, both of whom are extremely disappointed with Plymouth City Council for shutting Seaton Pool, contact Lyn J on Plymouth 768093.
The reason why the Herald is backing the Council over swimming provision is because they are in bed together.I know this for a fact,and it was manifested in the papers’ attempts (or lack of) to save this pool.
I really miss Seaton and now I hardly swim at all.I went to Marjons the other week and it was packed out and you had to pay to park! Wont be returning there.
Very angry to see Seaton pool demolished
I moved back to plymouth two years ago, from North London, where I had at my disposal 8 swimming pools within 20 minutes drive, 2 of them olympic! It seems to me here the council expect us to swim in the sea or pay well over the odds to use crowded un-modernised facilities.
Municipal facilities are the cornerstone of a healthy society and with the current focus of todays politics being around living a healthy life, I find the approach towards Seaton and the proposed life pool, laughable, no DISGRACEFUL!
Very, very sad to see the headlines that Seaton no longer exists. Lets form some sort of committee to see if we can get a replacement pool in the same area. We really do need another pool so lets show tudor evans what the people of plymouth can do when we unite.
Swimming lessons are so important for children and fun too.
Are there going to be huge queues during the winter for Tinside???
is it planned to demolish seaton swimming pool during
the August bank holiday ?
After growing up and having a few scares whilst learning to swim I decided to give up trying through fear. I realise what I have missed out on whilst growing up. This is what I do not want to happen to my young family, why do we have to wait upto 18 months for some pools to take lessons? why are there only a couple large pools in Plymouth? Like Councillor Pengelly I find it hard to comprehend why the council would allow such a large, and forever growing, city to share so few pools. Please don’t allow my and other young families not have pools to learn to swim, as I have found it can save lives and is something many take for granted. Also, GA of Plymouth, I agree with some of your comments but surely with all the interest this campaign is generating, how many NEW visitors will seaton pool generate if a bit of money is put back into it???
I just read the comment above by GA. a valid point made by Sue, they intend to close Plymouth Pavilions to make a promenade to connect the centre of Plymouth to Stonehouse. So what will happen then? As far as I can count there are four pools open for public use in Plymouth; Plymton, Central Park, Marjons and Plymouth Pavilions, I cannot swim in Plymouth Pavillions as it is full of children playing. It is a fun pool not a swimming pool. Marjons is primarily used for education swimming clubs and for the use of Marjon courses and students. There is of course Tinside and Mount Wise but these are only open during the summer are cold water and prices are bumped up for the tourist season. i think this should not just be about seaton pool but we should be looking deeper than that it is about the disinterest that the local council have for its people and there health and well being. First seaton pool has been closed. What facility will be next?
I think the closure of Seaton Pool is a disgrace I used to swim 3 times a week I now find it extremly difficult to find a pool session that is not heaving. I have even been turned away from sessions as they are too full. I don’t know why the people of Plymouth are standing by and letting this happen this is are city. The council seems to be agreeing to all sorts of development plans such as housing and shopping centres to bring tourism and money to the city but they seem to be forgetting about its people and the facilities that they require. It is obvious to me that if they re-opened the pool with a little updating and added a public fitness centre it would be a hit. Plymouth has only two pools and if the proposed plans for central park swimming pool to be knocked down to build an olympic sized pool in its place are still to go ahead, that would only leave one public pool for use plymouth is a fast growing developing city, surely this is rediculous!
After 3 months my knees were getting more and more painful, so I have attempted swimming at Marjons. After a few swims and trying to work out which part of the ticket the receptionist actually requires, the pleasure of actually floating and swimming is outweighed with the number of people. I was taught to swim at Seaton in the 1960’s when the Marines owned the site and have always appreciated the kind and helpful staff. I have spent many hours in the spectators gallery watching my children learning to swim and train for life saving. Why oh why has this pool been closed!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RE-OPEN SEATON POOL!
To G A of plymouth-please where are these swimming pools that we have too many of……..???? I don’t seem to have found them yet!!!!
In response to the comment 21st July by G A OF PLYMOUTH
ON PLYMOUTH HAVING TOO MANY SWIMMING POOLS and uses the
Pavillions.
What comment will be made if the Pavillions close.?
I am sorry but I am all for the closure of the pool, we have too many pools in this city all perfectly good. This campaign seems to be involved with alot of people who dont even use the pool. Seaton was losing far too much money and was situated in an awful place. Glad is shut. And Yes I do use the Pavillions with my 3 daughters and they love it.
Reading some of your letters, I am getting a clearer idea of what is going on. I do not agree with the closure of Seaton Pool and have indeed missed out on hours of work because of displacement of staff at Tinside etc, and indeed miss all your smiling faces from Seaton, but I must in Central Park’s defence say I know for a fact that swimming lessons, aquafit sessions and rookie lessons all have spaces in them, I cannot understand why people cannot get places. BOOKINGS ARE COMING UP FOR SEPTEMBER TIME _ START PESTERING THEM NOW. May I suggest that customers ask detailed questions of times and dates etc through a Duty Manager or the Swimming Co-ordinator, TIMETABLES HAVE TO BE DONE FOR SEPTEMBER_ GET YOUR IDEAS IN NOW. I know that some lessons are not advertised correctly or indeed advertised at all. I have been asked to teach / lifeguard many events/lessons and they have not been attended through pure inadequacy of advertising, quite who’s in charge of this I have yet to find out but if I ever do find out you will all be the first to know!
You are all welcome at the other pools and believe me staff are trying to help, we do try to keep our morale up and we’ll all be behind you in saving Seaton Pool or indeed getting the “new build”.
I believe that there will be further comments regarding the propossed Central Park Life Centre during the next Plymouth City Council Cabinet meeting planned for Tuesday 11th July 2-30pm.
Instead of listening to the community, the elected councillors are more concerned with scoring political points against each other. The Liberal Democrat Party have been a disgrace. It seems to me that Karen Gillard appears is siding with Labour just to secure a cushy job for herself. The Plymouth electorate will see straight through things like that.
The Life Centre is a red herring. It wont be built for years, it will do little more than replace Central Park, and it may never get built in the first place. In the meantime, I am not able to find anywhere decent to swim after working hours. Obesity has now overtaken smoking as the top cause of preventable death in Britain. Its about time these so-called “councillors” starting working constructively with each other.
There is a full council meeting on monday 12th June at 1430 pm at the council house when a motion regarding seaton Swimming pool will be heard.
My considerable fury and disgust for the short sighted closure of Seaton Pool was greatly highlighted when my daughter brought home a letter from her school, Bickleigh Down C of E Primary, stating that as a direct result of the closure of Seaton, the children of years 2 & 6 will not be able to have their curriculum swimming lessons this year!! I know that the PE teacher has worked tirelessly to get pool space for this year but to no avail. So now proof that our school children are suffering as a result! It does not really affect my daughter much, apart from the fun factor, as she is a very competent swimmer already but that is not the point - many of our children are missing out on a valuable statutory curriculum item.
Both my daughters swim with DRSA and have had their lessons disrupted greatly. Although alternative pool space was found at Central Park and Marjon, both pools are much smaller and do not give our local swimmers the chance to improve their stamina that the longer pool at Seaton did. As a family we do not swim together as we did because of the overcrowding at Central Park as well as the hassle of getting there and battling with the football crowds, shoppers and circus goers for parking.
Seaton Pool should not have closed - it is a total waste of a valuable facility. Close Tinside instead - when is it ever warm enough to use it & it is a total eyesore in winter!
I am 16 years old. I like to go out with my friends on a regular basis and we used to go swimming every monday night for a youth club and a lot of my friends used to go! If we are hanging round streets or down parks in the evening we get into trouble and told to move else where!! Where can we go????? There is nothing to do as we are only 16!
Like the photos of the regional destruction agency-just about sums it all up.
I learned to swim at seaton at the age of 50 and they were brilliant with me. My children used the pool when they were growing up and it holds many memories for them they are now in their early thirties. Seaton has been in our lives for well over 20years now and we miss it. We have tried to get in the other pools for a relaxing swim nigh on impossible though, being a nervous swimmer and slow I have stopped going. I did aqafit at seaton for years that has had to stop as well because I cant book a place everywhere seems to be full.Well done Plymouth City Council you have made yet another mess of things come on get your act together and give the people of Plymouth our pool back, because lets face it we pay enough council tax for living here.
Hopefully after the local elections seaton pool will
open again if only till a replacement in the north of the city is built.
Not forgetting that Plymstock still needs a public
Swimming Pool and possibly in central Plymstock.
What about THE Large area of Downhorn Park where there
are no sitting tenants.
Please re-open Seaton Pool! Central Park pool is too crowded, Tavistock’s pool is fully booked, where else is there for my family to go swimming? My partner needs to swim to help his back problems, and needs a pool near to where he works at Derriford. We can’t afford to join the private pool, so Seaton was ideal! We live in Woolwell, so aren’t in the voting areas this time round, but rest assured, when we get our opportunity, we’ll be voting against those who close these essential public facilities just to extend the business park!
Ever since the closure of Seaton the other Plymouth pools (particularly Central Park) have become so crowded that a sensible, quiet and dignified evening swim has become nigh on impossible!! Zig-zagging around everyone in a vain attempt to complete a length, is not my idea of relaxation, nor is it conducive to an exercise / work out.
That’s when you can get into the pool - since all the other swimming clubs and groups have been displaced, this leaves even less opportunities for public swimming!
I think these councillors are a few litres short of a full swimming pool so let’s vote the right way in May…
Just been to central park to book an aquafit session, not an easy task now. We were told that with the closing of Seaton Pool more sessions would be put on at Central Park. Well yes they have but can you get a space ha ha.The reason a lot of people use the aquafit is to stay mobile after injury or through illness so the council will end up supporting some of these people with home help etc, so who is going to pay for that? (or is that the next big cut again?) Again in all the press all you read about is obesity but what do we do, yes close the amenities down one at a time. With the olympics also due in 2012 shouldn’t we be training our hopeful’s the best we can? but instead we show the rest of the world how pathetic this GREAT country is. Plymouth City Council get your priorities right stop wasting money and spend it on what is needed. REOPEN SEATON FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE OF PLYMOUTH
Had my first Sunday 9am swim at Central Park Pool today and found the fast lane extremely congested. Will no doubt have to get used to this situation due to this council’s lack of proper provision for swimmming in Plymouth.
It is criminal that they have closed Seaton Pool, which was such a friendly place to exercise in. The council deliberately neglected the pool for the last few years and I am just waiting now for them to do the same thing to Central Park which is not exactly young in years and in places already is showing its age.
To all swimmers of Plymouth of voting age I urge you to go to the ballot box on Thursday and make a stand against this anti-swimming council before they manage to shut the remaining two indoor swimming pools down.
On a final note regarding the plans for a 50 metre pool(etc etc). I have been waiting for it since I was a competitive swimmer over 25 years ago! I do hope it will happen one day, maybe in time for me to turn up on my zimmer frame!
Well…….today was the first lesson for my daughter at Plympton pool. Sadly as I live in St Budeaux, it was rather a trek across the width of the city, causing a lot of pollution, but never mind eh?
Plympton seems a nice little pool….emphasis on the little….as my daughter is a pretty good swimmer, swimming the width of a pool isn’t really going to stretch her and her stamina is it, and therefore not help her fitness levels. Bearing in mind the rates of childhood obesity nationally, it’s shameful that a cheap and easy way of helping kids maintain and increase their activity levels has been closed. There is now NO provision for that side of the city at all. Ironically, my daughter has also brought home information from Plymouth City Council about activities to help her keep her level of fitness. To which I responded with an acidic email.
The site, being so close to so many large employers could be redeveloped, to include a pool and fitness suite, reaping financial and health rewards for Plymouth. May I urge the Council to consult with Caradon, who run several very good facilities in Saltash, Callington and Liskeard?
Can’t wait for the PCC election on the 4th May. Remember let your vote count & get the Labour party ‘out of office’. Lets hope who ever gets in will re-open the Pool asap
I personally think the closure of Seaton swimming pool is a disgrace. I am a lifeguard and work in another pool in Plymouth, however this pool closing is affecting us all. Later this month or in early May there is going to be a Plymouth wide Pool Restructure and this does not bode well for certain peoples’ jobs or amount of hours availiable to the people affected. Ultimately the influx of staff that are not able to be “fitted in” are most likely to be fobbed off with the seasonal work of Tinside and Mount Wise which ultimately when these close again we will have the same problem. Personally I know some people who have lost their jobs through this and have had to settle to having less hours to work.
Another reason that I was unhappy with seaton closing was that it was the place that I learnt to be a lifeguard and was a huge commodity in terms of learning to be a lifeguard. This initiative was called “rookie” and you would attend weekly to learn the key skills attributed to lifeguarding and even if you didn’t want to be lifeguard you ultimately learnt some good life skills. Before I went to this I could not show you how to do CPR and overall most people my age don’t know how to, which really is bad. The main reason I bring this up however is because before Seaton closed the council were actually complaining about having a lack of lifeguards in the Plymouth area. Now were going to have less lifeguards being trained and less youngsters learning key life skills. As far as I know rookie is carried out a central park, but this was always a popoular course and with only 20 spaces availible per rookie session is not really good enough compared to the 60-100 children that may want to attend.
Plymouth City Council have acted in a disgraceful way. Seaton should be re=opened as soon as possible.
I think it’s disgusting. Plymouth did not have enough pools before Seaton closed. Now it will be terrible. The city Council should be ashamed of themselves.