Issue 501 – Poll for the Pool

THE campaign to save Westbury Swimming Pool is planning more action to keep the historic pool open.

The Save Westbury Pool Committee want to request that Wiltshire Council hold a parish poll and referendum within the parishes of Westbury and Ethandune. The committee hope to call the poll “on the basis of retaining Westbury Swimming Pool for future generations, supported by and funded by Wiltshire Council where everybody matters.”
The committee is now looking into arranging a public meeting at the beginning of July, which is required before the poll can be called.
Mike Cuthbert-Murray from the Save Westbury Pool committee said, “This is something that would actually give power to the people. Wiltshire Council is going to have to listen to the outcome.”
Under the 1972 Local Government Act, a small number of parishioners can request a parish poll, which the local authority has to run. People living within the boundaries of the town council are eligible to vote, providing they are on the electoral register, but there are no postal or proxy votes.
Parish polls have recently been used elsewhere in the county. Warminster held a poll in April to ask residents if they agreed with the town council’s idea of moving to the Assembly Rooms. Bradford-on-Avon also held a poll to give residents the chance to say whether they supported a proposed new footbridge despite the cost.

Westbury Pool
Petition update –
see page 20