A RALLYING cry has gone out from Aquasplash supporters for people to lobby councillors at next Wednesday's crunch district council meeting in a bid to save the pool and gym from permanent closure. As exclusively revealed in the Free Press's sister paper the News Trader on Wednesday, West Somerset Council's cabinet will be asked to close the facility, paving the way for the centre to be demolished and the site sold off. Members will be told that keeping the pool and gym open is simply not "financially viable" - even though a partnership with Somerset County Council could net the authority a potential saving of at least £50,000 on the historic costs of operating the facility. Local swimming clubs believe the closure could signal the end for their groups, while others have blamed the council's "abject failure" to manage its own finances for the impending shut down. With councillors expected to accept costs of £4 million for their own centralised office scheme at the same meeting, local swimming coach Jim Butterworth accused the council of financial failure. "The proposal to close our only public swimming pool is the ultimate humiliation for our council that has spent £30 million of our money in the last few years," he said. "The report for cabinet on February 13 is not based on any deficiency in swimming or the pool itself, but demonstrates the abject failure of our council to look after our finances and to undertake the job they were entrusted." The authority has already budgeted for the sale of the Aquasplash site by 2010 and has not allocated any money to keeping the facility open in its new financial plan, which is also due to be discussed at Wednesday's meeting. Stacey Beaumont, the council's media and public relations officer, said that had the county council's business case offered "substantial savings", the authority's budget would have been tweaked to cover the cost of re-opening the centre. Councillors will be told a county council leisure team could operate the centre for £213,215, assuming the facility was given trust status. That would see business rates drop from close to the £50,000 mark to just under £10,000, although the district council would still be expected to pick up any additional ongoing maintenance costs. Adrian Dyer, the council's acting head of paid service, will tell cabinet members that although a partnership with the county council could save money, it would not be enough to justify keeping the centre open. "Although the cost included in the business case put forward by Somerset County Council Leisure is significantly less than the historic in-house cost, it is nevertheless in excess of £200,000 and, as such, is considered to be unviable," he says in his report. "The fabric of the building has deteriorated markedly in recent years and significant investment is now required on items such as internal floor and wall tiling, locks and doors, all of which contribute to a 'tired' appearance. "With the notable exception of the fractures to the superstructure in the south east corner and the fracture of the skimmer pipe, the actual building itself is generally sound." The pool and gym has been closed since October after the pool sprung a 2,000 gallons-a-week leak. The cost of fixing the leak has been estimated at between £5,000 and £15,000, although the council believes the overall cost of re-opening the facility would be closer to £50,000. Michael Day of campaign group KAOS (Keep Aquasplash Open Solidarity) said it was vital anyone who was angered by the move to permanently close the centre made their feelings known. He also called on the council to consider mothballing the facility for a couple of years until money could be found to re-open the pool and gym for the community. "Aquasplash is not just some ephemeral castle in the air, dreamed up over misty new horizons, but a substantial standing building, still fit for purpose, which can quickly become available again," he said. "KAOS would ask all the people of West Somerset who wish to retain it to clearly demonstrate their determined opposition to permanent closure and our requirement for the council to think again." Cabinet members are expected to decide on Wednesday to permanently close the centre with immediate effect and to try to re-deploy Aquasplash staff elsewhere within the council or issue compulsory redundancies. Mr Dyer will then be asked to draft an in-depth report on all the options available to the authority for a full council meeting on February 27. The report would include details of cost implications and a proposed timetable for the demolition and the sale of the plot. West Somerset Swimming Club chairman Colin Christmas said the prospect of permanent closure put a serious question mark over the future of the swimming club. He said members had been having lessons at Butlins during the temporary closure of the pool and described the potential loss of Aquasplash as "an absolute tragedy". "At the moment Butlins is literally keeping us afloat by allowing us to use its pool and we are very grateful for that lifeline," he said. "But we are only able to offer two evenings a week instead of the four evenings when Aquasplash was available. "We are beginning to think the unthinkable - that we will have a coastal community without a community pool. "By stripping out Aquasplash the council is literally stripping out a way of life for around 100 families whose children are involved with the club. "Unless we are able to negotiate some permanent arrangement with Butlins - whose priority is obviously their core business - I cannot see a future for the club." Mr Christmas said the club had already lost around 20 swimmers since Aquasplash closed because of the changed times of the sessions. "There are a lot of angry parents in West Somerset - there is a real sense of anger and disbelief that the council could actually be thinking of doing this," he said. In a statement, the district council said it regretted having to recommend the closure of the pool and recognised the community's desire to keep it open. "After much work and research, it has been acknowledged by both parties that all available options would leave the council, any potential partner and the taxpayer at high financial risk. "The costs of upkeep on the ageing facility, which is currently closed due to leakage from the pool, will also inevitably increase with time," the statement said.
