‘Survival Plan’ Agreed for Pool

A meeting between MHKs, MLCs and the Southern Swimming Pool board has led to an agreed ‘survival plan’ for the pool.

The meeting, chaired by Dr Michelle Haywood MHK gathered to discuss the DESC report into the affordability of Regional Pools and the subsequent decision by DESC to propose closure of the Southern Pool.

The Southern Swimming Pool board presented the budget that it had submitted to DESC and told the MHKs, MLCs and commissioners that its projected budget didn’t match the one that appeared in the DESC report which had concluded that three regional pools were unaffordable.

The Members and Commissioners also expressed incredulity at the ‘errors in the DESC report’. The Pool Board had worked hard to come up with a budget for 24/25 that required the same subvention as in 23/24, but DESC had concluded that there was a deficit of £220,000 which it deemed unaffordable.

Commissioners shared the sense of despair and distress felt in their communities at the proposed closure.  They were critical that the DESC plan did not attempt to evaluate the impact of the closure on school swimming lessons, after school swimming, the Southern swimming club or the many other users groups who would be affected by the closure.  There was incredulity that the costs of closure had not been estimated as part of the proposal. There was general anger and frustration at the lack of any solid commitment by Government to provide a replacement facility at Castle Rushen High School, despite years of promises by DESC, coupled with lack of tangible progress on the school development itself.

Speaker, Juan Watterson, presented a ‘survival plan’ for the pool, based on the subvention staying at the same level in previous years, and using data from the Pool’s budget projections.  It was agreed by the Local Authority members that they would broadly support the survival plan and they will be taking the information back to their respective Boards.  The ‘make do and mend’ plan is designed to keep the Pool running until a new facility, including a swimming pool is constructed as part of the redevelopment of Castle Rushen High School.

Michelle Haywood thanked her fellow MHKs, Tim Glover, Jason Moorhouse and Jane Poole-Wilson for attending the meeting.

She said: ‘It’s important that rather than just each of resolving to vote against the DESC proposal, we have something to offer as an alternative.  It’s vital that the Southern MHKs and MLCs work together to support this crucial community asset.

‘I am very grateful to the work that Juan Watterson has done to come up with a viable survival plan and show that the DESC conclusion that there was “no funding scenario where the Pool could remain operating”, simply wasn’t true.

‘I fully recognise the anxiety and distress that has been experienced by the Pool Board, the Pool staff and the whole community, which I believe was totally unnecessary.  The meeting makes a clear call to the Department to show a can-do attitude to supporting the Pool for the next few years until a replacement is ready to go.’