Gordon demands answers
Gordon Marsden has challenged Blackpool’s Conservative Council as to why they failed to use an extra £43,000 of Government money awarded to Blackpool for swimming pool modernisation to help save St George’s Swimming Pool on Mereside (which the Council bulldozed at the end of November).
Figures released by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport now show that as well as Government giving nearly £132,000 to fund free swimming for Over – 60s and under – 16s from next year – the Council also got £43,254 from the Department to modernise pool buildings and improve access. In a letter to Councillor Tony Williams at Blackpool Council, Gordon has questioned why this money wasn’t considered for a rescue plan to reopen St George’s Pool.
“The Council were told about this money before they demolished St George’s. Instead of saying let’s take another look at whether we might use it to renew a facility that people both on Mereside and elsewhere had found valuable and relieved the pressure on Palatine – they rushed to knock it down and ignored the campaign and protests to give it a second chance”.
“They didn’t let on they had been given this extra money by the Government. The public now will want answers as to how they are going to use this money for modernising facilities”.
A letter in the Blackpool Gazette on December 8 also revealed how the Council has failed to renew the contract of a cracking swimming coach who has helped trail elite swimmers at St George’s Pool – some of whom could be Olympic hopefuls in 2012. “This is another example of how the Council have let the people of Blackpool down over swimming. I ask Tony Williams and his colleagues ay least now to make some amends by giving local clubs the coaching and extra provision they need”.
