£1m swimming complex plans for once-threatened Dimensions centre
MORE than £500,000 is set to be invested in new swimming facilities at a council-run leisure complex – just three years after the centre's pool was threatened with closure.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council will provide the cash if it can find private funding or grants to take the total investment at Dimensions to at least £1 million.
It comes three years after plans to close the splash pool at the Burslem centre were scrapped.
That sparked a political storm which led to the arrest of two senior politicians and a leading businessman.
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Council officials today said it was too early to say whether the pool would entirely replace existing facilities, although the authority's aspiration is for a 'new swimming pool' at Dimensions.
Assistant director of neighbourhood engagement Judith Kirk told councillors: "We have to make sure the facilities are fit for the future and this proposal reflects that."
The proposed investment at Dimensions follows the closure of swimming pools in Tunstall and Shelton as part of £35.6 million cuts in 2011/12.
A host of cuts to swimming services are also planned for 2012/13, including forcing schools to pay extra for swimming lessons and ending the subsidy paid to the City of Stoke-on-Trent Swimming Club.
Terry Cope, chairman of Greenfields Residents' Association, in Tunstall, said: "The people of Tunstall have been misled.
"This £500,000 would have kept both Tunstall and Shelton pools going and they were two pools that were very necessary for their communities."
Councillor Dave Conway, leader of the opposition City Independents, who campaigned to save the splash pool, said: "I'm not against investment, but was this at the cost of Tunstall and Shelton?"
The Dimensions investment is planned over the next three years.
It also involves an overhaul of gym facilities.
It comes months after the council spent £44,000 resolving a long-running legal dispute with WaterWorld owner Mo Chaudry. Mr Chaudry – who was arrested and later released without charge – was paid about £22,000 by the council.
The entrepreneur threatened to sue the council after claiming the authority broke a secret deal to shut the splash pool and pay him £100,000-per-year to offer a discount at his Festival Park attraction.
Mr Chaudry said he could only support the new plans if it means the splash pool being replaced and asked the council to look again at partnerships with private swimming facilities.
He added: "It makes no economic sense to me for the council to build another pool and keep an existing, heavily-subsidised facility open.
"It would be a ludicrous decision to have two pools open at the same location when the complex is already being subsidised.
"The only real option is to reconfigure the existing splash pool to a normal swimming pool.
"Anything other than this would be mindless and uneconomic."
More articles you might be interested in:
More questions than answers on Dimensions
Deals over pool submerged in secrecy in corridors of power
Councillors turn down request for more details into council deal with Mo Chaudry
Council says no to request for pay-off details
Revealed: Stoke-on-Trent City Council paid £22k to Mo to drop legal action
Comments
by stevebatkin
Saturday, December 24 2011, 6:08PM
“By the way the Bentilee Willfield site looks almost demolished. It certainly doesn't look like the swimming pool and gym are going to get a last second reprieve. I believe Mr Chaudry is investing in a new gym!
http://tinyurl.com/c5fch56”
by Shian
Saturday, December 24 2011, 6:41AM
“What savings. Dimensions was costing the tax payers £40,000 a year and these muppets at the council wanted to pay Mo Choudry £100,000 a year I don't think that is a saving it seem's to me that its a 150% hike.”
by JohnStoke
Friday, December 23 2011, 7:47PM
“I find the whole swimming pool saga totally disgraceful. The council and other parties concerned should be totally ashamed of the undignified way this whole issue has been handled. Their prime objective should have been, given the financial constraints, to develope a plan that would deliver the required savings with as little impact upon the services as possible. I do not believe they managed to do either. From the very start,this whole process should have been made transparent to the people of this city. We are not idiots, we understand that savings have to be made. If the council had chosen to work closely with the people being affected, the outcome would have been sounder without a sense of bitterness being left with the community. What really is frustrating is seeing a neighbouring council close an old pool and open a brand new one with no interruption of service to its community.”
by mrdoulton
Friday, December 23 2011, 6:58PM
“When one voice rules the nation,
Just because she's top of the pile,
Doesn't mean her vision is the clearest.
And the voices of the people,
Are falling on deaf ears,
Our politicians all become careerists.
They must declare their interests,
But not their company cars.
Is there more to a seat on the council,
Than sitting on your ****?
And the best of all this bad bunch,
Is shouting to be heard,
Above the sound of ideology crashing.
Whisper up in Whitehall,
Must not be spoke aloud,
The offender faces jail or resignation.
And another dose of welfare cuts
Is passed without a word,
From those who claim to represent
The centre of this nation.
All these men and women,
Elected for their high ideals.
While we just pay our taxes,
They pay lip service when it feels.
And the voices of the millions,
And the hopes of a whole lot more,
Are lost above the sound
Of ideology crashing.
Are lost above the sound of ideology,
Above the sound of ideology,
Above the sound of ideology crashing.”
by I_Norris
Friday, December 23 2011, 4:00PM
“truestokie: I enquired about dimensions after that all went hush hush, but they escape any ruling against them as £100,000 was only promised it wasn't actually paid so in law they did nothing wrong read auditors findings here http://tinyurl.com/c8ghx5e”
by truestokie
Friday, December 23 2011, 2:46PM
“£100, 000 was budgeted to go to Mo Choudry that the public (although it was their money) are not allowed to enquire about.
£500,000 on a water feature and decking in the Civic Centre.
£286,000 pay for Union Officials out of the public purse.
Westcliffe Hospital with its dodgy dealings leading to the arrest of council officials, and staff.
These are just a few of the items of disgrace this bunch of incompetents have embarrassed the people of this city with.
When will these people learn that their duty is to serve the people, not expect the tax payer to bow down to them while emptying their pockets.”
by Jobeeone
Friday, December 23 2011, 1:12PM
“This lot haven't a clue what they are doing. It will all change again no doubt. Careerists one and all.”
by I_Norris
Friday, December 23 2011, 10:12AM
“Assistant director of neighbourhood engagement Judith Kirk told councillors: "We have to make sure the facilities are fit for the future and this proposal reflects that."
Judith is Tunstall Pool fit for the future? No because you in your wisdom closed and now you want to Demolish dimensions, Dimensions is the most perfect introduction to water for young children many are scared as soon as they enter larger pools such as Fenton even before they try the water
Keep dimensions and if you now realised you do need pool in north of the city re open Tunstall simples”