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At last week’s Council meeting Cllr Andrew Milton proposed the following motion:
‘The Council notes with concern that contamination by Legionelle bacteria has caused the closure of Ladywell Leisure Centre pool and urges the Mayor to ensure that when it is reopened it is maintained to a good standard of hygiene’
Unfortunately a Labour amendment has eliminated from the motion the words ‘to ensure that when it is reopened it is maintained to a good standard of hygiene’ and replaced them with words urging the Mayor to work with the Council’s partners to deliver new facilities and congratulating the Government for its announcement that free swimming will be available to everyone by 2012.
As the words ‘when it is reopened’ have been removed the approved motion does not make the Mayor commit to reopen the Pool.
Any speculation is legitimate. We have been dealing long enough with Lewisham Council to know that alongside some very good people there are unfortunately some slithering snakes too and they may well be hard at work right now. The fact that there have been no details given as to when the pool will reopen only add to the fear.
But of course the lack of details may well be down to ineptitude, after all, this sorry tale is all about ineptitude.
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Every now and again we think we have probably posted our last piece of news on Lewisham’s swimming pools, and then up pops another issue in the long-running campaigns there. From afar the newly ennobled Sir Steve Bullock’s administration does seem to be characterised by discussions of Ladywell. The local pool group now feel that the latest consultation on the future of pools in the borough lacks the key elements that, in their opinion, constitute ‘discussion’. It is important to click through and get the full story from the original posting.
Click Here and you will automatically create an email addressed to the people running the consultation on Ladywell Pool and send one copy to us, the Mayor and the local press.
(Via save Ladywell Pool How to anwser the unanswerable consultation: .)
The diary page of today’s Guardian reports to the nation on some hilarious spin offs and follow ups to the end of our campaign that have entertained Lewisham in the past few weeks.
When, last May, Labour’s control of Lewisham council ended after 35 years, it was widely assumed that the slump in support for Mr Tony’s men was due in no small part to a bitter battle over the fate of the popular Ladywell baths, which Labour mayor Steve Bullock was hellbent on demolishing to make way for a new school, and residents were determined to keep. Despite swearing that he would ‘not be changing his mind’, Cllr Bullock last month did, announcing that the pool would stay open, the school would be built elsewhere, and that this was, of course, ‘the result I was always striving for’. The Save Ladywell Pool Campaign, he added magnanimously, was ‘a great example of how local people can get their views heard’. Oddly, the mayor told Time Out that the campaign, led by ‘a very small group of backward-looking people’, was ‘pathetic’. Presumably to put an end to all this confusion, the front page of Lewisham Labour Action now proudly proclaims: ‘Mayor Saves Ladywell Pool.’ Fancy that!
Here’s a link to the tactfully entitled ‘Mayor Saves Ladywell Pool’ Labour Party leaflet and here instead you can read the News Shopper article clarifying what particular manoeuvre of the Mayor did it.
Here’s instead a link to the article on the Time Out magazine published on the same day of the decision to keep Ladywell Pool open where the Mayor declared that the campaign is erm???pathetic.
We finish this press review with a picture of a group of campaigners on the front page of the Mercury with the wonderful title ‘it’s job done’.
(Via save Ladywell Pool The great press review: .)
from the SAVE LADYWELL POOL website
The Mayor of Lewisham Steve Bullock decided to keep Ladywell Pool open until the forecast replacement to be built at Lewisham Centre is actually delivered.
More details to follow soon.”
(Via save Ladywell Pool Ladywell Pool Saved!: .)
Today is the last day of the consultation by Lewisham Council on the proposed replacement for Ladywell Pool. Here is the advice from the Save Ladywell Pool Campaign
In short the Council wants to build a few blocks of flats and close Ladywell Pool so that they can build even more flats. In exchange they’ll build a small pool in the basement of one of the blocks in front of the station and they now ask us all to fill in a questionnaire so that they can then say that we asked for it.
We are now producing an additional set of questions that we’ll ask people to fill in and deliver together with the questionnaire as an additional comment so that in their report they are forced to write down at least some of the things that people think of it.
Read our articles here and here for advice on filling in the questionniare
The consultation ends on Wednesday 30th October 2006.
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“Lewisham mayoral candidates are pledging their support to the Save Ladywell Pool campaign. Reporter SAMANTHA PAYNE spoke to them about their plans for the pool if they win the elections.
Since it started in July 2004, the Save Ladywell Pool campaign has fought hard against the leisure centre being knocked down to make way for a new secondary school in the borough.
Campaign leader Max Calo sent a petition with 5,300 signatories to the council opposing the closure of the pool.”
“After learning to swim at Crystal Palace and Forest Hill Baths, I went on to swim at Ladywell with my primary school, and use Ladywell as a leisure pool thereafter. I am not really a keen sportsperson, and I don’t like chlorine swimming baths, so I no longer swim – but when I pass Ladywell on the bus towards Catford I recognize what an important social hub Ladywell is.
Like anyone who keenly reads the local paper to follow the latest, I was originally stunned to see that it could be demolished.
I have just taken another look at Save Ladywell Pool and I must congratulate all who have created a showcase of positive community campaigning. I strongly urge all teachers, campaigners, heritage, ecology and community advocates to spend at least 20 minutes exploring the quality and depth of this website. Notice the care that has been taken to create appropriate weblinks to quoted documents and persons. Main topics are grouped with a clear menu. There is a discussion forum.
Whatever the fate of the pool, make sure that this outstanding civic resource can be appraised and modeled – to allow other awareness campaigns to flourish, and the local electctorate a new participatory vehicle.”
(Via The Ragged School Blog ‘learn how to’ – Save Ladywell Pool: .)
Born to Brenda and Max Calo of the Save Ladywell Pool Campaign a baby girl yesterday – one more campaigner signed up for the struggle! We are told water temperature and quality were perfect.
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click the image to see the poster full size or click to visit the Ladywell celebrations page
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We make no pretence at understanding the full story at Ladywell as it unfolds but with rumours and promises that the council will reopen, rebuild and close pools in Lewisham the waters are certainly becoming muddied.
Much talk at the moment seems to be about the decision-making process and accountability to date. We learn that it is alleged that the council have been paying the contractor to keep the Turkish Baths at Ladywell Leisure Centre closed as they were not included in recent works to refurbish the building and remove asbestos.
This mirrors unconfirmed allegations that Hackney Council continued to pay Leisure Connection for the closed Clissold Leisure Centre and the money it is costing to keep pools like Hornsey Road Baths, Haggerston Pool and Marshall Street closed.
So while we are being told that there is no money to build, refurbish or keep open swimming pools there must, as always, be money to pay for them to be kept shut.
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click image to enlarge
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