WESTBURY’S historic swimming pool, the oldest working public baths in the country, could be under threat of closure.
The fears come as Wiltshire Council undergoes an audit of the leisure facilities across the county, and has identified an ‘overprovision’ of swimming pools in west Wiltshire.
At a recent meeting of Wiltshire Council’s environment select committee, councillor Stuart Wheeler, who is responsible for the council’s leisure services, questioned whether west Wiltshire needs the number of swimming pools it currently has.
At the meeting, the committee considered a report which has already been approved by the Wiltshire Council cabinet.
Part of the report says, “Inevitably there will be difficult choices. The plan includes a range of proposals which may be seen by local communities as threatening local services. Local views may directly conflict with priorities identified within [the] report.”
Westbury councillors have stated that they would oppose plans to shut the swimming pool without a replacement.
Westbury Mayor, councillor Sue Ezra said, “Finding out that the swimming pool might be closed to save Wiltshire Council money I find most disturbing. Not only is it the oldest Victorian swimming pool in use but it is part of the heritage of the town.
“I understand no decision will be made until after the general election.
“I will be bringing it up at the town council, people need to be made aware. I think if action needs to be taken then we need to be getting on the campaign trail.
“The schools use the pool to teach our children to swim and we have a vibrant swimming club which has only just received a lottery grant. Over the last few years the district council repaired the roof and the electrics were up- dated. Surely spending money on an amenity for the people of the town, then closing it down, seems rather short sighted. I’m keen for it to stay – it would be a tremendous loss to the town. We have so little in Westbury, we have to hang on to what we do have.”
Cllr Russell Hawker said, “The Leisure and Recreation Plan adopted by West Wiltshire District Council in early 2009, after a long review process, regarded Westbury Pool as ‘an older building which may not remain suitable in the long term for this recreational use’.
“That is clearly a fair statement. It is the oldest working public swimming pool in the country and the question is at what point does it become obsolescent. That’s not to say that at any time soon it will become obsolescent, it’s a creeping process.
“Having said that it does have a few things in its favour, it’s a warmer pool than many others which is good for children and older people. It is quite well used.
“One of the issues Wiltshire Council cabinet is considering is options for new facilities in Wiltshire.”
Cllr Hawker said that the idea of building new leisure facilities should Matravers School be relocated was one possibility, but added, “that is completely up in the air at the moment.”
If Westbury Swimming Pool was shut without a replacement being built, then Westbury would be the only town in west Wiltshire without a swimming pool.
Cllr Hawker said, “I think every councillor in Westbury would oppose it, I wouldn’t claim a special position. I think you would see a united front from everyone if that’s the case.”
Neil Tribeck, Westbury Amateur Swimming Club secretary, echoed cllr Hawker’s comments. He said that if adequate facilities replaced the pool that would be one thing, but said to remove the pool with no replacement would be a “disaster”.
Neil said, “I think it would be a complete disaster for the town. We have precious little in the way of facilities in the town, which has almost doubled in size in the last 20 years. The swimming club has served the town continuously since 1897, we are a thriving club. The pool is always busy, it would be a complete disaster.”
Wiltshire councillor Stuart Wheeler, cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said, “What happened at the meeting was that the scrutiny group looked at the paper so far.
“Wiltshire Council inherited all these leisure facilities and we have got to make a plan for people in Wiltshire over the next 20 years. The paper was a summary of the review so far.”
Cllr Wheeler said the review is looking at the condition of facilities, their use, and whether they would shortly need replacing, amongst other aspects.
He said that the report will be returned to Wiltshire Council around summer time, and that any recommendations would undergo a lengthy consultation process with the public before any final decisions are made.
Cllr Wheeler said that compared to the rest of the county, west Wiltshire has a large number of 25m swimming pools, which are very expensive to run.
He said, “Looking at a map there are more 25m pools down that end than in other parts of the county.
“We’ll be looking at them to see what we need to do about them, do we need them all?”
However Cllr Wheeler pointed out that it was far to early to be speculating about possible closures saying, “It’s premature, I’ve not made any decisions. I have no objectives, I’m just going to wait until the end of the exercise.”
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