Plan for town pool is supported

THE fight for Cullompton to have a swimming pool is starting to make a splash – nearly a hundred years after it first began.

The swimming pool campaign for Cullompton can be traced back as far as 1922, but Mid Devon District Council has never been able to finance one. Now there is an active community campaign and planning group who have been raising project development funds since 2011 – and the Neighbourhood Plan which goes to a referendum on May 6 includes support for the swimming pool project.

The Neighbourhood Plan says: “The indoor sport and recreation provision in Cullompton requires significant improvement just to bring the town up to a similar standard as Tiverton and Crediton, with 84% of respondents to the Community Survey saying the town needs more leisure facilities.

“The swimming pool campaign for Cullompton can be traced back as far as 1922 and, while it is accepted that there is an unmet demand locally, Mid Devon District Council has been unable to satisfy it, but there is an active community campaign and planning group in Cullompton, who have been raising project development funds since 2011.

“This has enabled progress to be made on proposals for a ‘state of the art’ swimming pool complex that includes an indoor swimming pool, a learner pool, a hydrotherapy pool, a dance studio/hall, a health and fitness suite and a ten pin bowling area. It is likely, however, that additional funding will be required to ensure that the project is developed, but the proposals are in principle supported.”