'WASTEFUL, expensive, and sub-standard' is what protesters are calling plans for two pools being built in Reading.

Protestors will make a stand outside Reading Borough Council offices today (Monday, January 20) to call on councillors to reconsider plans to privatise the town's sports and leisure service.

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Proposals for outsourcing the service will be discussed at the council's Policy Committee meeting this evening, where the committee will consider bids to run the service from two private sector operators.

If approved, the winning bidder will be contracted to design, build, operate and maintain the council's sports centres for the next 25 years, with no plans to include a break point during this period.

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The demonstration is being organised by Reading Trades Union Council, which is concerned at the likelihood that the new contractor will erode the workplace rights and working conditions of Reading's leisure centre staff.

Many private sector operators in the leisure sector have a track record of employing staff on zero hour contracts at minimum wages, and of refusing to recognise workplace trade unions.

As well as taking over operation of Reading's existing sports centres, the winning contractor will be expected to deliver a new, eight lane, 25 metre swimming pool at Rivermead; a new 'community pool' at Palmer Park linked to the existing leisure centre; unspecified improvements to the existing leisure centres at South

Reading and Meadway and the introduction of new membership and customer schemes for Reading's leisure centres.

The Arthur Hill Campaign and other groups representing Reading's swimmers welcome the proposal for new pools in Reading, but are concerned that the council's plans are not suited to local needs and do not provide good value for money.

There are also concerns that the borough will be lumbered with sub-standard sporting facilities for a generation to come.

The preferred option for local swimmers is that the historic Arthur Hill Pool, closed in 2016, should be reopened instead of a new pool built in Palmer Park.

Reading Chronicle:

Environmentalists and residents in the Palmer Park area are worried that construction of a new pool in Palmer Park would vastly exceed the carbon cost of refurbishing and reopening Arthur Hill Pool, and would result in the loss of public open space which is valued by other park users.

Peter Burt of the Arthur Hill Campaign said: "No one is happy with the plans for the new contract except Reading Borough Council's Labour Group, who see it as a way out of the corner they have painted themselves into following the closure of Arthur Hill and Central swimming pools.

"The plans for new pools are a wasteful, expensive, and sub-standard option which will saddle Reading with the bare minimum in sport and leisure provision for at least the next quarter century.

"We also share the concerns of trade unionists that the leisure centre staff and pool attendants who are responsible for ensuring the safety of sports centre users will end up facing poorer working conditions under the council's new contract.

"The council should suspend the award of this contract and consult with the public and with sports centre users and staff to find out how we really want Reading's leisure service to be run before making a decision which will have a big impact on the shape of sport in Reading for many years to come."