"THERE was a good attendance at the Ilford Leisure Centre Users' meeting on Tuesday, April 8. Recorder readers will not be surprised to hear of the expressions of anger and frustration resulting from the impending closure of the pools, although the exercise and dance rooms may survive.

No councillors were present to hear the blame heaped upon them. However, the neglect goes back at least 20 years, so it is unlikely that any party can be more effective than another in improving facilities.

This administration tried to use town centre regeneration money for a 50m pool, although the plan failed because of the unsuitability of the site. It has succeeded in renovating Fullwell Cross pool, which was also in a bad state, otherwise there would be no pool at all before long in this expanding borough.

Meanwhile, the plans made in the 1980s to build a 25m pool for the west of the borough have long been forgotten. I was expecting these to be revived rather than the proposal for a 50m pool, but assume that this was to take advantage of training needs for the Olympics as well as awareness of the increasing need to replace the Ilford pools."

(Via Ilford Recorder - No one makes a splash about swimming: .)

| in the news | 17 April 2008; 6:57:06 PM |# | | |