A DECISION to re-open Williton's dilapidated Memorial Ground changing rooms after health and safety concerns forced their closure was criticised this week. Williton Parish Council, which owns the building, was forced to pull the shutters down almost without warning in May after a string of problems identified in a specialist report. The move left the youth club run by the Williton Action Group without a base and local and visiting football teams without any changing facilities. But the building was back in action within weeks following a second opinion from an environmental health officer and some emergency remedial work. But at the council's meeting on Monday, the decision to re-open came under fire from Cllr Paddy Gower who claimed it had been taken by just a handful of councillors. Cllr Gower said he understood that, under council rules, a decision like the one taken by the full council in May could not be overturned within six months. "If it was going to be re-opened then this is something that should have been looked at by all councillors, not just three or four," he said. And Cllr Derek Cridland questioned why the council had bothered to spend so much money - around £500 - on the original health and safety report if the opinion of the environmental health officer had cost nothing. "That report gave us a list of things that we had to do. Why did we spend that money if we could get the information for nothing?" Cllr Cridland said the council's records showed that the changing rooms had been in a disgusting state as long ago as 1997 and yet nothing had been done in all that time. But Cllr Liz Peeks said it had been agreed when the original closure decision was taken that a second opinion would be sought to see if any remedial work could be carried out to allow the building to be partially re-opened. She said the showers were still out of action and it was not possible for anyone to drink the water. "It was important that the changing rooms were open during the recent 'planning for real' day to show the public what state they are in," said Cllr Peeks. "I don't think anyone has gone behind anybody's back in what has been done." And council chairman Cllr Eddie May said councillors had been told in the follow-up advice that if chemicals were removed from the building, it could be re-opened. "We wanted to get it opened again as quickly as possible, mainly because we wanted to get the kids back in there and off the streets, which is what we have done. "The person who gave us a second opinion did so as a favour."
