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Disabled swimmers stunned by St Annes closure



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Published Date: 04 August 2008
By Paul Marsden
VOLUNTEERS from a Fylde disabled swimmers club say they are "devastated" and preparing to fold following the closure of St Annes Swimming Pool.
Fylde Otters, which regularly attracts 35 disabled users and their carers, has provided weekly water- based sessions for disabled people at the pool for more than 20 years.

But following the closure of the baths last Thursday, the club is set to be disbanded, leaving many disabled users without their only chance to get out of the house and do essential exercise.

St Annes pool closed on Thursday evening, five months after cash-strapped Fylde Council voted to axe it.

Otters founding member Betty Green, 76, who has been involved with the session for the last two decades, said "everything humanly possible" had been done to keep the club running.

The group, who held their final session on Monday, will now hold an "emotional" final farewell later this month.

Mrs Green said: "I'm absolutely sickened.

"When I came back on Monday, I just thought there is no more swimming for disabled people. It is very sad.

"I think it upset me more when I saw the pool empty on television."

The club is preparing to fold after being unable to take up offers to move to pools in either Kirkham or Fleetwood.

Mrs Green added: "It makes a big difference for people who can use the pool.

"Some will now just not go at all. It will be the end of the line."

Lytham Coun Kath Harper says the "logistical" problems of moving the swimming club has led to it preparing to disband.

She said: "It is very sad for everybody. St Annes suited everybody because of its location.

"Hopefully, some of the members will be able to continue their swimming but not as a club."

The council voted to shut the pool in a bid to offset a £1m-plus budget deficit.

Closing the pool will save Fylde Council £204,000 during the next 12 months and £502,000 in the following year.

Coun Simon Renwick, cabinet member for culture and tourism, said: "We are very sad that St Annes baths has had to close for the moment.

"It was a hard decision and nobody took it lightly. We have tried to accommodate all users and we have offered the group a solution."

The full article contains 394 words and appears in Blackpool Gazette newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 04 August 2008 8:17 AM
  • Source: Blackpool Gazette
  • Location: Blackpool
 
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MisterJJ,

St Annes 04/08/2008 09:28:56
This is maybe the saddest aspect of the closure. I have watched how happy the Otters were as thet swam, and for some I'm sure it was the higlight of their week. Even if Renwick does pull something out the bag I will never forgive him for the heartache and upset he has caused so many people with this hasty, short sighted decision. Seeing the boarded up windows is devastating. Come election day...Lest we forget.
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John McNicholas .,

Bispham 04/08/2008 10:07:54
A Facility such as a Pool should be available to everyone in this day and age. If an area is struggling then Government funding should be provided. It is very sad to hear that some of the disadvantaged and more vulnerable people in our society are suffering because of this. A bad political decision which will probably be reflected in the polls by what appears to be a justifiably angry electorate.
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dustin,

fwd 04/08/2008 10:15:01
SAME OLD TORIES< SAME OLD CUTS
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True Blackpudlian ,

Blackpool 04/08/2008 11:22:31
What about Marsden and Humble voting to keep their lavish expenses dustin. I am still awaiting a straight answer or better yet an admission that they are greedy MPs with their snouts in the trough. Speaking of cuts what about those two voting to cut £100m in adult education funding.
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friedman,

st.annes 04/08/2008 12:22:40
Are any of you lot actually reading what the article says - I dont think you are.
The pool was shut to save the Council 500.000, which is good for the Council, why should people pay out of their council tax to fund a hopeless case. I am glad the place is shutting, to save the money.

As it is we are the second to the lowest council tax payers in the country which is great I hope it stays that way, without funding for hopeless places likes the pool. There are plenty of pools all over Fylde that can be used for people who want to swim, why does it have to be the one in St.Annes!!!!

Good on the Council for shutting the pool before it made too much of a loss
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True Blackpudlian ,

Blackpool 04/08/2008 12:33:09
On the same wavelength as Friedman is saying, that is what I have been saying about the closure of St Georges baths in Blackpool. Resident Labour grumpy old man Jack Croysdill has been whinging and whinging about that pool which he most probably never even uses. But I did use to swim there and it is a dump to put it politely. We have two brilliant new facilities at Moor Park and Palatine. St Georges would be running at a loss used by less than 100 people a week. Some guy in the Gazette was blaming Council 'mismanagement', I call it common sense in the name of economic feasibility. NB; This comment is referring to St Georges baths not St Annes.
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Frustrated,

St Annes 04/08/2008 13:47:15
Same old Dustin, same old comment no matter what the subject.

Whilst Cllr Renwick seems to be getting a lot of flack over the closure at least he did try to save Kikham baths - the only Cabinet member to do so. Without him we would in all probablity now have a Borough without a single pool.

I don't understand the selfish attitude from some that we don't need a pool - there were only 2 in our Borough, now just one which is under threat - perhaps these people just don't care about anyone else - perhaps they can afford leisure club fees.

Of course when money is the issue if Cllr Ashton had kept a proper eye on the Streetscene department we might not be £1.2million in deficit, if Cllr Paul Rigby had actually kept on eye on his brief of efficiency and finance we might not have such cash-flow problems and if Cllr Coombes as leader had picked more appropriately skilled people to lead these two important portfolios we would probably still have the baths and all our other current services without needing to raise more money. And if we weren't commiting to spend £7 million on a new Town Hall facility we'd be able to have the sort of facilities that Blackpool and other local councils have that don't actually lose lots of money the first place.
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friedman,

04/08/2008 14:28:30
excuse me frustated of st.annes, how can you say there are only 2 pools, have you actually tried looking for another pool - I think not. You mean there are 2 council pools, there are loads of pools in Fylde. There are many houses that rent their pools out to anybody who wants to use them, I used to take my dog swimming in a private pool, she used to hire the pool out to people who wanted to swim with their dogs. and if you look there are lots of private pools who will hire out, and there are pools in leisure centres, hotels etc who let you use them, so dont say there are no pools there are loads, just try looking and stop blaming the council cos they are closing their pools to save money.
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Frustrated,

St Annes 04/08/2008 15:26:41
It's unusual to count hotel facilities and pools in private homes as facilites - few of these are affordable for most residents in the Borough. I don't think pools which dogs have swum in are going to be that popular with most people.

If the council hadn't wasted so much money there wouldn't be a need to save some.
10

MisterJJ,

St Annes 04/08/2008 15:35:04
If you want to go swimming with some fat, hairy dogs then try the Sandcastle.......!
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