| <--- back Save Aquasplash Diary of Events Council Minutes Service Standards Your Councillor |
| larger | Aquasplash Working Group | smaller |
|
This page will let you know of the progress of the Working Group, set up by a unanimous vote of the Council on 27th February, to investigate ways of reopening Aquasplash |
| Council Meeting - Wednesday 18th June: SORRY, EVERYONE, WE LOST THE ONLY POOL IN WEST SOMERSET TONIGHT |
Following the meeting of 4th June, all three community members of the Working Group felt that they could not support the findings of the draft Report to Council. We have today (10th June) issued the covering note below to go with the attached letter To: all those concerned about the loss of swimming facilities in West Somerset. We have decided to dissociate ourselves from the draft Report of the Council Working Group. We believe our remit from the Council Meeting on 27th February which was attended by over 250 people with 30 speakers was to reopen Aquasplash. As such we cannot be a party to the draft Recommendations of the Working Group. In doing so, and whilst recognising the difficult financial path the Council now has to follow, the fact remains that the problem is not the fault of the swimming fraternity or indeed the viability and wish of the public for swimming to continue in West Somerset. As individuals we feel sure that every Member of Council wants swimming to return to West Somerset and we thank Councillor Neil Parbrook and Officer Janice Malarkey for their extreme patience and perhaps frustration, in that we cannot support the course of action proposed in the draft Report. Vague promises are not enough; we urge the Council to look again and arrange alternative ways of reopening and operating our Aquasplash Pool until such time as a new pool is provided. Our reasons for this action are see letter attached Michael Kingston-Lee & Jim Butterworth 9th June 2008 |
| Aquasplash Working Group - Wednesday 4th June: Only Neil Parbrook, Janice Malarkey and myself turned up to the meeting to finalise the draft Working Party Report to Council. No minutes had been issued following the meeting of 21st May which may have been the reason so few attended. Whilst the investigation into the soundness of Aquasplash had revealed that it could be recommissioned for £50,000 (including fixing the leak), I registered my concern yet again that Tone Leisure had never been asked what they could provide for £100,000pa and that the conditions offered by the Council to Tone Leisure were too restrictive. |
| Aquasplash Working Group - Wednesday 21st May: It is with great regret that we have learned that Tone Leisure cannot make the cost savings necessary to put forward an affordable solution for the future operation of Aquasplash. Our previous negotiations with Somerset County Council failed for similar reasons. The council was willing to consider any proposal that made cost savings. However, despite our best efforts no proposals have come forward. A report from the Aquasplash Working Group will be prepared for council. We have acted swiftly to secure funding for PALS (Pro-Active Lifestyles and Swimming) to assist its members to swim at the St Audries pool, and we have posted a list of the district's five swimming facilities which open to the public on our website and made the list available through our customer services team on 01643 703704. The council has thoroughly investigated all the options put forward over the last six months. The council would particularly like to thank the Aquasplash Working Group for its hard work and support over the last three months. Naturally, we are very disappointed that the outcome has not been more positive. However, looking to the future, the council will now be exploring the feasibility of providing alternative swimming facilities should the necessary finance become available. |
| Aquasplash Working Group Update - May 1: The Aquasplash Working Group met on Wednesday April 30. Over the last few weeks, Tone Leisure has been in dialogue with the council's finance department and met with its Corporate Management Team. Currently, we are all awaiting final reports from the engineers who are undertaking condition surveys of Aquasplash's plant machinery. Tone Leisure has been copied into the engineers updates and it will receive the final report on the heating and ventilation when it is completed next week, and the last report on the water treatment plant a week later. To date, the engineers have been satisfied with the overall condition of the plant machinery. Although some items need replacing or remedial work, nothing new has come to light that would not have been part of routine maintenance. If Tone Leisure wishes to come forward with a proposition, it has been agreed that they will do so before Monday May 19. It is anticipated that a report from the Working Group will be presented to a meeting of Council in June. The Aquasplash Working Group is meeting again on Wednesday May 21 and this webpage will be updated shortly afterwards. |
| Aquasplash Working Group Update: The Working Group is meeting regularly to discuss options put to the council with regards to the future operation of Aquasplash. The council is providing the facility's financial history to interested parties and, in response to Tone Leisure's request, has commissioned an engineer's report to establish the current condition of the plant machinery. There is undoubtedly a strong desire to keep the facility open, and the council is doing everything in its power to assist. However, it is only fair that any third party is given all the information they require, plus the time necessary to consider any information and any potential management options arising. This means that it is unlikely that the Working Group will be able to report back to Council within six weeks, although it is hoped that a report will be ready by June at the latest. The Working Group will continue to actively consider any other options that may be put to the council. |
| Working Group Meeting Update - April 9th The Working Group met today to discuss the latest developments which it wishes to share with you. Engineers have been commissioned to undertake a condition survey of the facility's plant machinery and the work gets under way shortly. Tone Leisure will be meeting with the council's finance department on April 16 and with the council's Corporate Management Group (which consists of the council's Executive Directors Adrian Dyer, Bruce Lang, Allison Griffin and Interim General Manager, Jack Neal) on April 28. The Working Group will meet again on April 30 to discuss any issues arising. If any other definite options come forward in the meantime, the group will meet to explore them. We will provide a web update shortly after our next meeting on April 30, or before if there is any news. The Working Group would also like to share with you their Terms of Reference which governs what they can discuss and defines their valuable role. Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Recreation and Working Group Chairman, Cllr Neil Parbrook, said, "The resolution unanimously adopted by Council which, in turn, dictated the Working Group's terms of reference clearly show that the group is only able to explore options to keep the facility open." The agreed terms of reference are listed out below: To investigate whether there are true savings to be made in the operation of the Aquasplash Centre by way of the following options.
* Check base line costs and users over the past three years? The cross-party and public Working Group consists of Cllr Neil Parbrook (Chair), Cllr Michael Downes, Cllr Bryan Leaker, Cllr Norman Hercock, Cllr Ian Melhuish, Mrs Janice Malarkey (Group Manager - Leisure), and user representatives Mr Jim Butterworth, Dr John Godrich and Mr Michael Kingston Lee. |
| top of page |
| The following meeting of the working group was on Monday 31st March and included a further stakeholder - Dr John Goodrich |
| The next meeting of the working group was held on Wednesday 26th March |
| A further meeting of the Working Group on Monday 17th March looked into the income and expenditure over the last four years and considered alternative ways of operating Aquasplash and where savings might be made. |
|
The meeting on Friday 14th March included two Community Stakeholders, Michael Kingston-Lee and Jim Butterworth. We had a look around Aquasplash, and had it confirmed that the pool and equipment have been routinely checked and are in good condition. The pool tank is sound and the pressure release valves opened to avoid excessive upthrust on the pool tank. Aquasplash can be started up again once the leak has been cured; a small leak from a water pipe repaired, some other minor works completed and the whole building cleaned. The operating costs over the last four years have been studied and suggestions have been put forward as to where savings might be made. The meeting was entirely positive and Members of the Working Group are actively seeking a way forward whilst respecting the severe financial constraints. |
| The first meeting of the Working Group was on Monday 10th March: The council members that will be part of the Working Group have decided the Terms of Reference of the Working Group and the makeup and membership of the Working Group |
| top of page |
| email me | |