It was with a feeling of sadness that I read the announcement in The Hebden Bridge Times that we are going to have a 25 by 8 metre pool with fitness suite, which will rely on council support Quote: ‘to
ensure it’s future success’. I imagine everyone in Hebden Royd would welcome a pool, but it must be developed on a firm financial footing.
I know that Hebden Royd Council has written to the Swimming Pool Committee and pointed out that the Committee had to find a sustainable solution, as we all know that a swimming pool on it’s own needs to be subsidised, and that HR Council was not willing to commit to this. It is also unlikely that Calderdale could commit to the funds necessary under its current budget.
No consultation with Hebden Royd has taken place, in fact quite the opposite as no HR councillors were permitted to join the Swimming Pool Committee.
Last year Royd Regeneration invited Richard Marshall and Dorothy Sutcliffe to a meeting where we had a presentation from a local company which specialises in sustainable solutions for swimming pools and sports centres. The company has access to further funding and offered to staff and run the new centre in a profit-sharing scheme. The company has a proven track record of success. There is no mention in the article as to how the pool would be run Richard Marshall himself admitted that the best scheme would be to pull the present Mytholmroyd Community Centre buildings down and start afresh with a purpose-built centre incorporating a sports and fitness centre, swimming pool, community centre and youth facilities.
In it’s day the old centre was an imaginative initiative by members of the community in creating a community amenity from a collection of old chicken sheds, and has served the community well for many years, but is losing its battle with time, has become increasingly run down and annually relies on Hebden Royd Council for support in replacing outworn pieces of equipment essential in keeping a group of tired old buildings going.
What happened Richard?
How long will it be before the swimming pool will have to close down due to lack of funds and bad planning and the present Community Centre cannot be shored up any longer?
The people of Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd deserve better.
Cllr John B. Frederiksen
