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Pool's missed opportunities
Sir, Following Mr Brown's concerns as featured in the Advertiser, regarding the poor service and closed sessions at Ilkeston's swimming pool facility, I want to remind people of the missed chances we have lost.
Five years ago, Erewash Council paid consultants for a leisure report, the recommendations were to refurbish and remove asbestos from Albion Leisure Centre and Victoria Park Leisure Centre, total cost estimated 1.75m.
The alternative recommendation was to build a brand new purpose-built centre, complete with swimming pool, to replace both the Albion Leisure Centre and Victoria Park Leisure Centre. The total cost was estimated between 4.5m and 7m, dependant on design requirements.
Both recommendations were rejected by the Conservative Councillors.
Five years on, 1.2m has since been spent on removing asbestos, necessary maintenance work on an old, tired building, and 100,000, yes 100,000, on another consultants report,
Add in 500,000 lost revenue while the centre was closed for nine months, now we face another lengthy closure, whilst 2.8m is proposed to be spent to refurbish and maintain the same, old, tired facility.
Sound familiar?
Compare this mismanagement, with the possibilities that could have been, a brand new swimming facility, state-of-the-art, purpose-built, wet side and dry side, modern facility for 21st century leisure pursuits.
Instead, with public money at more than double the cost, we shall have the same rundown building with another make over, when it happens.
If I sound negative, it is because I am a taxpayer too in this town and I regret the demise of our public amenities and the stealthy manner in which these are confiscated without a second thought by people who have the monopoly to provide us with these services.
Louis Booth,
Councillor for Kirk Hallam
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Weather for Ilkeston
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
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Light snow
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