The letters page of the Daily Telegraph has carried responses to Kate Hoey's article about lack of pools and the Government's and local authorities' anti-obesity posturing. There seems to be a belief that the sport, the recreation and its facilities are being rapidly privatised by a 'cartel' of facility owners, governing bodies, and private companies for the benefit of fee-paying adults. [LINK]

There are letters from Sally Wainman ...

"New Labour has successfully created a climate where local councils can state quite directly that "it is not their job to provide pools" and close them without further ado: Harlech Pool is the latest victim, with Gwynedd Council stating that a "major electrical fault" (broken light bulb?) means the pool is closed indefinitely, while they review their entire sport and leisure provision." [LINK]

and Brenda Humphreys ...

"Sadly, we are now seeing a massive decline in children being given the opportunity to learn to swim due to the many closures of school pools and local authority pools. In our own championships, it is the independent schools who dominate because these schools are blessed with their own pools." [LINK]

(Via The Daily Telegraph - Letters to the Sports Editor - Telegraph: .)

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| press and publicity | 2 November 2007; 10:34:19 AM |# | | Discuss |

If you are a regular visitor to this website you may wonder some days if we sit here making this stuff up. There are days when we know for sure that there is no way this could ever be true, this is one of them.

"NORTH Wiltshire council chiefs will hand over the keys to Calne Leisure Centre on Tuesday to the group that will be operating the centre when it reopens in January.

CLAG, the Calne Leisure Action Group will operate the former White Horse Leisure Centre in Calne and is planning to open to the public in early January 2008.

The group includes (unpaid, Ed) local residents and business professionals who believe that it is possible to run the centre for the residents of Calne and the surrounding area as a 'not-for-profit' organisation. (we thought that is what councils already do, Ed)

Handing over of the keys to the centre marks an important milestone for the group as they work in partnership with North Wiltshire District Council to once again provide a local leisure facility in Calne.

Plans are afoot to carry out refurbishment work at the centre before an official opening on Friday January 4.

It is planned that the centre would open to the public again on January 7.

Kevin Wells, the chairman of Calne Leisure Action Group, Kevin Wells, said: 'We are obviously very happy that all the hard work means we are now able to accept the keys to the centre. There is still a lot more to do and the next phase, the refurbishment, can now begin in earnest.'

He added: 'We still need the help of local tradesmen and the general public to carry out the 321 identified tasks that need to be completed before January 4.'"

(Via Leisure Centre Enters New Era (from Wiltshire Times): .)

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| in the news | 2 November 2007; 9:46:40 AM |# | | Discuss |