Hope for Northrbrook swimming pool campaigners

They're holding their breath

Campaigners fighting to save Exeter’s Northbrook swimming pool received applause from politicians of all parties after taking their protest to the city council.

And they were told by a senior councillor: “We have let you down.”

Dozens of people chanted ‘Save our Pool’ as members arrived for their meeting at the Guildhall in the city centre to hear impassioned pleas for them to think again.

The council decided to discuss the future of the pool in detail at a scrutiny meeting in the summer, and promised to listen to all opinions before making a decision. The protesters left the chamber after the debate to applause from councillors who praised their campaign.

Cllr Michael Mitchell (Lib Dem, Duryard and St James) told them: “We have let you down.

“This is yet again a sorry saga of last-minute decision making and back-of-a-fag-packet budget adjustments, and a failure to have really meaningful public engagement.”

The Labour-run council earmarked the pool for closure earlier this year, saying it is under-used and may have to go as it seeks to balance its books, but users say it has a vital role in the community.

They also believe its fate had already been sealed without adequate public consultation, and it would do better if it was open for longer. They also believe councillors have not been given all the information they need to make a decision.

Their new ideas for funding to preserve the pool include a membership scheme, grant aid from national sports organisations, better management and longer opening hours.

They handed in a petition containing more than 2,200 signatures.

Campaigner Angela Martin said the pool’s paydesk was sometimes unmanned, meaning the council had no idea how many people were actually using it. It was, she said, a valuable resource for local schools.

Its limited opening hours meant working people could not use it, she reported, adding: “It is a vital facility for the city and for the vulnerable, and of course when there is a price to be paid, it is always those people who have to pay it.”

Cllr Lucy Haigh (Ind, Heavitree) praised the protest and said: “We as councillors may not have all the information we need to make this decision.

“The pool is a unique place that serves people in a way that our larger leisure centres do not. The sense of community spirit there is really special and we should be doing all we can to preserve it.

“The residents and the councillors deserve clarity, and so far we have not had that.”

The protesters were told that they would have the opportunity to present their case to the scrutiny committee before any decision was made.

Councillors voted unanimously to put the issue before an all-party scrutiny committee, after which it will be discussed by the Labour-run executive before coming back again to the full council for a final decision.