9th November 2004: Streatham Swimming Club report:

The situation regarding Streatham Pool, as we understand it is:-

Tesco’s have purchased a large amount of land (from the current bus garage up to Streatham pool). The ice-rink now stands on land owned by Tesco’s, and Tesco’s have put a management company in charge of running the ice-rink. The land that Streatham Swimming pool stands on, is included within the regeneration plans for the area called ‘The Hub Development’. In these plans, the land that the swimming pool currently stands on, is earmarked for the new ‘bus turn around point’, which needs to be constructed prior to the rest of the development being commenced, so that the land that the current bus garage stands on can be released to build the proposed new ice-rink and leisure centre. It is proposed to keep the ice-rink open during the demolishment of the current swimming pool, and the building of the new bus garage, followed by the demolishment of the old bus garage and the building of the new ice-rink and leisure centre, followed on by the rest of the development.  It is planned that the new ice-rink will meet ‘National Standards’, as laid down by the National Ice-Skating Association. The design of the proposed new swimming pool does not even meet the ASA’s county standards.

The council’s planning department have already stated in a public meeting that they are under no legal obligation to provide swimming facilities in the borough, and in view of this and the fact that the wording in the plans seems to keep changing slightly, we (local swimmers) are not convinced that a new swimming pool will ever be built.

Ken Livingstone has, previously, put a stop to this development for various reasons, one of the reasons being the continuity of sports provision, and providing for ’schools swimming’ during the proposed ‘absence’ of a local swimming pool. However, as we understand it that decision is currently being reviewed, and the ban may well be lifted shortly.

We, as the only ASA registered competitive swimming club in the borough of Lambeth would have liked to see the council, TfL and Tesco’s negotiate keeping the current swimming pool open until the new one is built. However, we have been categorically told that this is not going to happen. This swimming club is, and always has been, totally self-funding, and we have never received any financial assistance. The council are unwilling, or unable to tell us how long we will be without a pool, but in any case a competitive swimming club cannot survive without training facilities. The council have made no attempt to find us alternative training facilities.

We, as a swimming club have now managed to find a College, within the borough of Croydon, who are willing to hire us their swimming pool for a couple of hours per week. Despite all the problems facing the swimming club, we consider ourselves to have had a successful year, gaining medals in the Surrey Sprints and Age-Group Championships, Future Champions Competition, Heathrow Youth Games, Basingstoke Masters, Surrey Masters Championships, Southern Counties Masters, and most recently a masters swimmer achieving a 5th place, two 6th places and a 7th place in the National Masters Championships in Sheffield.

Regards
Sue Jones
Secretary Streatham SC