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Hundreds oppose closure of pool
Reporter: ANDREW RUDKIN
Date online: 04 January 2012
Oldham Council Cabinet
CAMPAIGNERS in their hundreds vented their opposition to the proposed closure of Crompton Pool and Fitness Centre — but their efforts are likely to end in failure.
More than 1,000 people expressed their views as part of the consultation in to the reorganisation of Oldham’s pools and leisure centres.
It was dominated by residents wanting to keep Crompton baths open or refurbish the existing pool.
Under the plans, Royton, Shaw and Crompton will have one new leisure facility — which also means the likely closure of Royton Sports Centre, which attracted only 19 responses.
The consultation, which Oldham Council said has been “extensive”, has now ended and Cabinet members last night agreed to the building of a new leisure centre — which is likely to be located at Royton and Crompton School or in Royton town centre.
A total of 778 people responded to the proposal to close and replace Crompton Pool — with 92 per cent against the plan.
One resident said: “Crompton Pool has been here for over 100 years. It’s part of the community and is well used.
“Shutting the pool would be a sad loss for all of Shaw and have an impact on younger generations.”
An aspiration to build a replacement Oldham Sports Centre was also agreed.
Oldham’s sports and leisure facilities are currently provided by Oldham Community Leisure (OCLL), but this contract is due to expire in March, 2013.
Maggie Kufeldt, Oldham Council’s assistant executive director for strategic commissioning, said: “It is fair to say the consultation was dominated with responses about the proposed closure of the Crompton Pool and Fitness Centre and 72 per cent of the individual responses were about this proposal.
“But the Glodwick and Oldham Sports Centres also brought significant responses.
“The new leisure proposals are designed to develop an exciting yet efficient leisure offering that delivers revenue and savings and offers excellent value for money to council taxpayers.”
Almost 100 people responded to the proposed closure of Glodwick Leisure Pool and just over a 100 regarding Oldham Sports Centre’s proposed refurbishment or replacement.
Councillor Hugh McDonald, cabinet member for children, young people, family and leisure, said potential relocation sites have not yet been identified.
He said: “It has been a very comprehensive report and we have had a number of objections or comments mainly around Glodwick, Shaw and the centre of Oldham.
“I was glad to see the amount of interest at this stage and the officers will be going away to do more work on it.
“At this stage we have not identified the location of the replacement sites and that will be done at a later meeting.”
This meeting is set to be later this month.
Comments
What a surprise that the council have got their way. Did anyone think they would change their minds? Just an exercise to say there had been a consultation but they had already decided. 90% and 70% against .No democracy here.
If you want sport in Oldham, go to the latics or the rugby. Thats where the council put their money. Thats their priority.
Just like Oldham councillors, they close them, as many are too old to swim ect.
Chadderton pool,Oldham pool on Union st,Royton and now Crompton, they all have been either closed or wanting to be cause they are old, but again our heritage and should be kept in use.
Councillors should be listening to their public, as it was them who voted them in, but perhaps if we had a choice again, we would sack the lot and have a new lot in.
What is it going to be next, demolition of the town hall!!!!!
Let's have some common sense. Imagine two adjacent townships each having a swimming pool which is past its sell by date and neither is used to its full capacity. There are only resources to build one new pool. So why not build a new state of the art pool halfway between the the two townships? Do we want modern facilities for our kids or ones from the first half of the last century?
JMTS - Royton town centre isn't halfway between the two townships.
The consultation exercise has demonstrated that there is clearly strong support for retaining a swimming pool within Shaw. This cannot be ignored. There is no evidence of any great support for replacing the facility in Royton.
JMTS - if something works and has seen to be working, why fix it? Is that the way of councils up and down the country? NO. Keep your politics out of sport and let the people use the existing pools and put another pool equidistant for both Royton and Shaw to produce future Olympic champions, perhaps?
Have Your Say
So no one knows where the new pools will be,how about taking the whole site of the Alexander trading estat ,turnit in to a sports complex as for Crompton your not in the west of oldham so no chance for any thing
By Barros @ 04/01/2012 16:15:33