Anger over reduced pool opening times

IWAS extremely disappointed to read the article on Page 14 of Last week’s Runcorn Weekly News ‘‘Blame austerity for leisure hours cuts’’ written by Oliver Clay and quoting Cllr Phil Harris.

This article and the quotes in it from Halton Council was extremely disingenuous.

As the council knows the timetabled opening hours at both Runcorn Pool and Brookvale Leisure Centre have been significantly reduced.

The council was quoted as saying Brookvale Leisure Centre is open from 7am to 10.30 pm on weekdays. This is not true.

Brookvale Leisure Centre is open to the Public for swimming for four hours 15 minutes Mondays - Thursdays and for three hours 15 minutes on Fridays.

The quote from the council detailing opening hours is disingenuous in the extreme.

The pool previously used to open to the public at lunchtimes but is now closed.

The council was quoted as saying Runcorn Swimming Pool is open from 7am to 9 pm on weekdays. This is not true

Runcorn Swimming Pool is open to the public for swimming for seven hours on Mondays and Tuesdays, eight hours on Wednesdays, 11 hours on Thursdays and six hours on Fridays.

The quote from the council is disingenuous.

The pool is now closed every week day between 11am and noon when previously it was open. The pool also closes to the public an hour earlier on Saturday and Sunday. It is open to the public for less than three hours on Saturday.

These timetabled changes have had the effect to overload the remaining lunchtime session at Runcorn Pool whilst thinning out the customers before 11am.

No measures have been put in place at Runcorn Pool to increase the capacity of the pool such as putting in lanes. Even more worrying is that the council appears to view opening Runcorn Pool to the timetable as optional.

This has been going on for years under previous operators of the pool DC Leisure and Places For People but under the council is getting worse.

Runcorn Pool stated that reducing the opening hours would improve the untimetabled pool closures. It hasn’t.

It is very common to close the pool at weekends unexpectedly.

The pool was closed Sunday afternoon September 10 this has been a regular occurrence.

However, on Monday, September 18, the pool was closed all day opening at 6.30pm.

Runcorn Swimming Pool management blame the regular unexpected closures on life guards not turning up.

This can happen but it shouldn’t happen regularly for years on end. If the council and previous pool operators viewed this as an issue then they would take measures to improve the situation.

My view is that main issue is will and competence not cost.