Campaign to save St Davids swimming pool steps up a gear (From Western Telegraph)

Campaign to save St Davids swimming pool steps up a gear

3:10pm Thursday 29th January 2009 in

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The bid to save St Davids swimming pool intensified this week as campaigners took the first steps towards a legal challenge against Pembrokeshire County Council.

In a public meeting last November, the council’s director of finance and leisure, Mark Lewis, outlined plans to build a £1.3million sports hall on the pool site, using deficit funding from its closure.

However, he offered the community a two-month period in which to come up with its own sustainable plan to manage the pool at no cost to local authorities. The period is set to expire on Sunday, February 1st.

In a bid to extend the deadline, the St Davids Community Pool Group this week submitted a letter to local authorities, issuing a formal notice of intention to enter the judicial review process.

Group member Andy Dixon, who described the pool as a ‘vital’ part of the community, said: “We fully support the proposal to build a sports hall in St Davids but we don’t feel it has to be at the expense of the pool.”

Barrister David Lloyd, who is legally representing the group, said the campaign had gathered new momentum.

“By sending this letter, members are not being confrontational but inviting co-operation between the council and the community,” he said.

The group’s management plan centres around erecting a wind turbine that would generate enough income to finance running the pool alongside the sports hall. The CPG argues a six-month extension would allow them enough time to fully develop the proposal.

The group’s campaign, which has been backed by AM Joyce Watson, has now received more than 500 signatures of support from local residents.

“I appeal to the council to give the group more time and explain why they are being so unreasonable,” she said.

“The council has never managed a sustainable plan for the pool, so how can it expect the pool group to do it in two months?”

A spokesman for the council confirmed a ‘before action’ letter had been received and the group has requested a response prior to February 2nd.