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| Closure Plan |
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| The day to day running of the baths is in the hands of the Stockport Sports Trust, a charitable trust created by Stockport MBC in 2002 to ensure that sports facilities were exempt from rates. In the financial year ending 31 March 2004 the Trust received a gross income of £4,593,936 and a quarter of this was in the form of a council grant. During the same year it spent £4,505,329 an under spend of £88607. Councillor Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport MBC has said that the Baths are currently operating at a financial loss of £67,000 per year- more than any similar facility in the borough. (SEE - Systems Failure at Reddish Baths) |
| The Save Reddish Baths campaign is currently investigating whether this deficit is an accurate accounting figure. Given that Chester Swimming Association is able to run a baths complex older than Reddish but twice as large for £125,000 per annum (without Council subsidy) then Reddish Baths should be able to be run for about £62,000 per annum. This year the Liberal Democrat run council is cutting the grant to the Sports Trust by £90,000 accounted for mainly by the closure of Reddish Baths at the same time as they are pumping £1m into a revamp of Hazel Grove Leisure Centre.. The Liberal Democrats have no representation either council or parliamentary in Reddish so the decision to close Reddish Baths shows a large degree of political cynicism. (SEE Visit to Chester Baths) |
| The Sports Trust would like to see the baths retained and had been negotiating with the council since November for an increase in its grant to allow it to keep the baths open. The Council is understood to be the landlord responsible for the building shell and major plant. There has recently been an expenditure of £30,000 to retile the pool surround. The main activities at the baths are schools swimming lessons, adult swimming lessons, swimming by the general public and a Swimming Club which meets 3 nights a week. From their timetable the baths are in action for 12 hours a day on weekdays, 9 hours on Saturday and also Sunday morning. Any alternative venue for school swimming lessons would require expenditure on transport by Education Services and take children out of school for longer periods than at present. The Primary School Headteachers in Reddish are opposed to the closure preferring the current arrangement where children are within walking distance of the Baths. The general manager of the Stockport Sports Trust has said that the baths will close at the end of the School term in July. There is believed to be a waiting list for adult swimming lessons but use by the general public has been said to be declining. -(See Reddish Buildings Preservation Trust) |
| The closure: what the Politicians say |
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| Councillor Pam King, Executive Councillor for Leisure and Culture, Liberal Democrat |
| “We are concerned that children learn to swim and it is very regrettable that Reddish Swimming Pool is closing, but it has a lot of problems and is falling apart.” |
| Councillor Mark Hunter, Leader of the Council, Liberal Democrat |
| “The fabric of the building leaves much to be desired and it could be extremely costly to repair adequately let alone rebuild. We just do not have the money available to us. (A month later the Council announced plans for a £1m revamp of Hazel Grove Leisure Centre). |
| “We must reduce our grant to the Stockport Sports Trust- who manage these facilities on behalf of the Council – although the final decision on exactly how to allocate their reduced grant remains theirs alone.” |
| Councillor Peter Scott, Deputy Leader of Labour Group |
| “The Labour Party and its councillors are opposed to this closure and are actively campaigning against it.” |
| “It is important to keep a facility going in Reddish, Otherwise we would be in a position where people would lose interest in swimming.” |
| “The schools are a bit upset about this to say the least. It’s the only pool in the north of the borough.” |
| “There is a real enthusiasm in Reddish to keep these baths open and we are optimistic we can achieve that.” |
| Councillor Les Jones, Leader of Conservative Group |
| “The local Conservative Group has not at any time agreed to support the proposal to close Reddish Baths. Before grants of this nature are cut by whatever amount the facility or facilities most at risk should be appraised and properly marketed and in doing so it could well be that solutions come forward that would enable their retention to be a reality.” |
| The closure- what the Stockport Sports Trust say |
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| John Howarth, General Manager |
| “We want to be the best leisure provider in Stockport and provide leisure in reach of everyone.” |
| “The subsidies are so high on Reddish swimming pool it doesn’t have a future.” |
| The closure- what the schools say |
| Raymond Ball, Head Teacher of St. Joseph’s RC Primary School |
| “I don’t know why they’re doing this. All the schools use and as far as I know no one’s been consulted on it.” |
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| Colin Manning, Head Teacher of North Reddish Junior School |
| “I’m totally opposed to it, the pool serves the community very well. This flies in the face of government initiatives to improve the health of the nation. It would be a retrograde step for the children of our school and for the community.” |
| The closure- what Reddish Swimming Club say |
| “We have around 150 children coming to lessons three nights a week at the baths. But if the pool closes I would expect only ten of them to carry on swimming. In an area which has open water at Reddish Vale and Debdale Lakes it is unsafe if children don’t know how to swim.” |
| The closure- what do you think? |
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