COUNCILLORS CALL FOR POOL TO BE REOPENED NOW
ACROSS-PARTY group of councillors in Bristol has written to the mayor asking him to reopen a much-loved pool in Knowle.
Jubilee pool has been closed since March when swimming pools were forced to shut because of coronavirus.
Bristol City Council has said it cannot afford to reopen it and in August launched a public consultation on its permanent closure.
Now a group of 15 councillors, which was set up last month to explore future options for the facility, has demanded the pool be reopened while its long-term future is decided.
The group, which includes six Labour councillors, wrote to city mayor Marvin Rees on Monday saying it was “unreasonable” to keep the pool closed for “no good reason” while waiting for the Labour administration to make a decision on the future of the pool beyond 2022.
They said they formed their opinion based on evidence from council officers and the views of operator Parkwood Leisure, which is contracted to run the pool until March 2022.
They said: “It is our unanimous decision that we request a rapid reopening of the pool. His request is based on the fact the monthly operating costs of Jubilee are very similar to the cost involved in keeping it ready to open. We have also been told that reopening could be achieved by Parkwood within two weeks and that they are enthusiastic to make progress.
“Keeping the pool closed for no good reason whilst its long-term future is considered does not seem reasonable in the circumstances, and so the option of waiting for a cabinet meeting next year was unanimously rejected by the group.”
Campaign group Save Jubilee Pool tweeted to say they met Mr Rees and his advisors recently and were told “categorically” that the pool is not being considered for reopening until after cabinet meets in January next year.
“We agree with the findings of the cross-party group – there is no reason for the pool to be closed,” they said.
Mr Rees has not yet responded to the working group, his spokesperson said yesterday morning.
But the spokesperson said: “The working group was asked to find a long term sustainable solution for the pool.
“We are currently investing our stretched resources in the challenge of keeping all the main swimming pools and leisure centres open.
“Unfortunately, Jubilee pool is by far the least used pool in the city.
“We ask the group to work with residents to find a community-led solution to reopen this local pool.
“It is the community that are best placed to harness the local support and convert that to usage.”
The cross-party group has met three times so far and its initial focus has been on the reasons why the pool is closed, according to their letter.
The letter was signed by Cllrs Tim Rippington, Jon Wellington, Lucy Whittle, Barry Clark, Chris Jackson, Jos Clark, Gary Hopkins, Jeff Lovell, Tony Carey, Tim Kent, Harriet Clough, Chris Davies, Steve Jones, Richard Eddy and Graham Morris.
A cabinet decision on the long-term future of Jubilee Pool is expected on January 19, 2021.