CAMPAIGNERS battling to save the Aquasplash pool and gym from permanent closure have been thrown a lifeline with news of a potential rescue package from Somerset County Council. Frantic attempts are being made behind the scenes to agree a funding deal with the county council, although nothing has yet been firmed up. With West Somerset Council battling to balance its seriously overspent books, cabinet members meeting on Wednesday evening were expected to back a recommendation that the facility remained closed, effectively netting an annual £220,000 saving on the cost of keeping it open. But the report recommending closure was dramatically withdrawn at the meeting - a move welcomed by campaigners fighting to keep the facility open. Michael Day of KAOS (Keep Aquasplash Open Solidarity) said it was good news that the county council was considering entering into a deal. He said a planned public protest meeting on Monday (December 10) would now be deferred, pending the outcome of the two councils' negotiations. "It is not the community's fault that the council has an unexplained deficit, and to try and force the closure of an asset as fundamental and good as Aquasplash to claw back money lost by the council's own bad judgement is reprehensible," said Mr Day. "It is to be hoped from now on the council will act with decency and true openness with the people it represents and work with Somerset County Council to resolve their problems speedily and re-open Aquasplash without unnecessary delay." At Wednesday's meeting, Mr Day presented council leader Cllr Keith Ross with a petition signed by 1,300 people calling for Aquasplash to be re- opened. He said it was vital the council gave the future of the pool serious consideration and did not act purely for "monetary purposes". Both the pool and gym have been closed since the beginning of October after the pool sprang a 2,000 gallons a week leak. Engineers have pinpointed the "failure of a glued joint" as the likely cause and believe it would cost between £5,000 and £15,000 to fix. Cllr Neil Parbrook, portfolio holder for leisure, culture and recreation, warned there were still "several matters" which needed to be resolved with the coun ty council. "We have been working very hard behind the scenes to try to secure a future for the pool since it became apparent that our finances simply do not afford us the luxury of running a leisure facility at the current time," he said. "While I am delighted that we are in talks with Somerset County Council's leisure department and the Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership with a view to working in partnership to keep the pool and gym open, we cannot provide any guarantees at this stage. "However, I will continue to work hard to try and achieve a positive outcome for users of the facility." It is anticipated that a report on the future of Aquasplash will be presented to cabinet early in the New Year. l The West Somerset Leisure Centre has been nominated for the annual award of most improved leisure facility by the Association for Public Sector Excellence. Staff will be attending an awards ceremony in Blackpool along with four other UK nominated teams, all whittled down from more than 900 leisure sites across the country. The centre has also achieved commended status following an inspection from QUEST UK - the quality mark scheme for the leisure industry. The grading places the facility in the top 150 QUEST centres in the UK.
