Surprise U-turn on swimming bath bid
Adam Hewitt • Published 28 Sep 2009 21:40
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A COMMUNITY group is celebrating tonight after a shock change of heart means its plan to refurbish a crumbling swimming pool can go ahead.
The grassroots Kings Meadow Campaign (KMC) went head-to-head with major developer Askett-Hawke (AH) to regenerate the dilapidated, Grade II-listed open air pool complex on the banks of the Thames.
AH wanted a major redevelopment of Kings Meadow pool to include a hotel, spa and offices and development of the Caversham Lock Island, but KMC had much more modest ambitions, hoping for a simple public swimming pool refurbishment with potential winter ice skating.
But after almost losing hope, KMC heard at tonight's Reading Borough Council Cabinet meeting that culture leader Cllr Graeme Hoskin had had a re-think, because of AH's "completely unacceptable" demands for a 250-year lease of the site, because there was no guarantee for public access to the pool under its plans and because the developer insisted on the right to appeal decisions made by the council's planning committee about the development.
Cllr Hoskin said this made AH's proposals untenable and praised KMC, saying: "I don't think anyone can deny the passion and sincerity of those involved with wanting to bring Kings Meadow Pool back into use - now the hard work starts."
He said the campaign must find ways to fund the project itself, since there was no prospect of taxpayer's money being spent on it.
KMC chairman Bob O'Neill came to the meeting ready for bad news but left it beaming broadly and congratulating fellow campaigners.
He told the Chronicle: "I was surprised - now there's going to be a lot of hard work to get faith and trust in each other, us and the council."
He said he hoped the council would help the group bid for money from other bodies and that he thought it would be the initial capital cost rather than annual running costs that would be the problem.
Tonight's decision came after months and years of hard work from the KMC but also the Caversham and District Residents' Association and environmental group Caversham Globe, whose input Cllr Hoskin called "invaluable".
The KMC now has two years to get funding sorted, while providing updates every six months on its progress.
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