Posted: 7/28/2007; 9:48:02 PM 
The Herts and Essex news website is one of the most fragmented: each local newspaper seems to concentrate on a tiny radius of interest: and that is why there are separate press releases for each pool under the same district council.
There are 5 pools under the control of EHDC:
Two of them are fully council owned: Hartham and Grange Paddocks. These have escaped the cutbacks apart from being closed on bank holidays (all 5 pools will now close on bank holidays)
The other three pools are run by Stevenage Leisure and are also "Joint Use": joint use with the schools they serve.
From 01 Sept Leventhorpe Pool will be closed on Sundays; lose its adult public swimming session on Thursday nights and lose its casual Saturday swimming: only swimming lessons, a "fun inflatable session" and pre-booked pool-parties will take place on the Saturday.
The Ward Freman pool will also lose casual swimming at weekends and bank holidays of course. Decisions on the Fanshawe pool have been deferred for some reason.
Tony Jackson - the leader of the Council - has ignored a 1,000 signature petition and refused the suggestions of the Council's Scrutiny Committee to revisit these decisions.
It is no coincidence that this was voted through at a time when parents will be away on holiday AND when Parliament is breaking up for the long summer-recess, I realised today; this reduces the chances of unhappy residents getting any help from a higher level of govt.
It's an extraordinary mentality that countenances swimming LESSONS and then discourages the effective practise of that skill.
By another coincidence the council have also just written off thousands of pounds in unpaid parking fines and the amount is roughly equivalent to the "savings" they hope to make by closing these pools to public leisure use. There may be no connection, but I wouldn't put it past a Council to "write off" the parking fines and "collect" from leisure instead,
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