Save Cheddar Pool - the Campaign Continues

19th Jan, 2009

Sedgemoor District Council is set to cut £400,000 from the allocation it gives to Cheddar Swimming Pool over the next two years.

The Kings of Wessex Leisure Centre is a dual use facility with both community and school use. The funding partners are The Kings of Wessex School, Somerset County Council and Sedgemoor District Council.

The Swimming Pool was built in 1998 to replace the outdoor pool in Cheddar that was owned and operated by Sedgemoor District Council. Capital funding for the new pool was provided by Sedgemoor District Council from the sale of the old pool, Somerset County Council, the local community and The National Lottery. The Leisure Centre is currently owned and operated by Somerset County Council, on behalf of the school and Sedgemoor District Council.

The Swimming Pool is used by over 1,000 children each week who participate in school swimming and paid swimming lessons. The pool has an active swimming club with a large number of members. The pool also accommodates disabled groups and GP referrals. A full timetable of community activities takes place each week, including public swimming. The Centre is used by a total of 200,000 customers each year.

Sedgemoor District Council, Somerset County Council and The Kings of Wessex School all signed a Legal Agreement in August 1992 and a subsequent agreement in April 1998 setting out their respective obligations with regard to the funding and operation of the centre.

When Sedgemoor District Council signed the Legal Agreement in 1998 it agreed to fund the swimming pool for a period of 25 years by providing £110,000 plus £50,000 each year index linked (currently £200,000). It is proposing unilaterally to renege on this agreement.

Sedgemoor District Council is proposing to cut £400,000 over the next two years from the money it gives to Cheddar pool. This represents 100% of the grant.

Sedgemoor District Council has said that it has no intention of closing the pool, but has given no commitment or guarantee of future funding. Without a guarantee of future funding it is inevitable that in time the pool will close.

In the short term Sedgemoor District Council proposes to fund the pool from money already set aside for maintenance and repairs. This is money that has already been allocated to the pool and is not new money. Significant funding will be required to maintain the pool in the second decade of its life and it is for this reason that the fund has been built up.

The use of maintenance money to fund the operating costs of the pool is contrary to the legal agreement that states: "The maintenance fund shall be drawn on only as provided in this agreement and shall not be used for any other purpose."

In 2008 Sedgemoor District Council stopped funding Burnham-on-Sea swimming pool.

In 2007-08 Sedgemoor District Council provided £686,180 for "Sedgemoor Splash", which is over three times what Cheddar pool receives. It is planning to fund a new pool at Chilton Trinity with a total annual grant of £375,000 almost twice what the swimming pool at Cheddar currently receives. It estimates that the facility will need £125,000 per year of this sum for repairs and maintenance compared with the £50,000 per year that Cheddar receives.

The Governing Body at The Kings of Wessex School are strongly opposed to the cuts that Sedgemoor District Council is proposing to make and feel duty bound to alert the people of the Cheddar Valley to the fact that without any further commitment from Sedgemoor District Council to fund the swimming pool it will undoubtedly face closure.

There has been huge support in the community with strong opposition to the Sedgemoor District Council's proposed £400,000 cut. The 'Save the Pool' campaign is gathering strength with over 5,000 people signing the petition in just one week. Sedgemoor District Councillors have received large numbers of emails and letters in opposition to the proposals and people are being encouraged to display 'Save Cheddar Pool' posters.

A public meeting will be held this week on Thursday 22 January 2009 at 7.30pm in The Kings of Wessex School in the Main Hall - to which everyone is invited to attend.