Row over fate of Central Pool
Adam Hewitt • Published 5 Oct 2010 13:30
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DEAD-in-the-water plans for a replacement swimming pool should be investigated, councillors say.
Labour members say the scaling back of Phase Two of the Chatham Place regeneration, which was meant to include a replacement leisure facility for the Central Pool in Battle Street, should go before Reading Borough Council’s culture and sport scrutiny panel.
The developer, Muse, has dropped plans to deck over the IDR because of the economic climate. Borough transport leader Cllr Richard Willis negotiated that deal with Muse because he wanted to avoid the closure of two of the sliproads on Chatham Street roundabout as part of the decking, as well as a costly public inquiry that was to result.
But Labour’s culture and sport spokesman Cllr Graeme Hoskin said that move has killed off a deal struck by his party with the developer to replace the “tired” Central Pool, which is a hub for diving clubs as well as swimmers, and said: “That’s now all been thrown out of the window by the Coalition, and all Tory Cllr Richard Willis can say about the future of Central Pool is that the council would now have to look at other options.”
He said that “wasn’t good enough” and said the council’s culture and sport scrutiny panel should investigate.
Cllr Willis said he had “no problem” with the matter going to scrutiny panel, but added: “In the current economic climate, that pool was never going to be delivered. We are looking elsewhere in Reading for a new pool.”
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