Thank you for writing to me to express your concerns about the reports that Stoke-on-Trent City Council are planning to close Tunstall Baths.

Like many people I learnt to swim at Tunstall Baths and so understand its importance to the local community. I do not support the proposed closure and have been working hard behind the scenes trying to secure a future for the pool.

I believe that there are various approaches to the problem. Firstly, the Council and the Local Strategic Partnership need, in my view, to audit the way in which current usage of the pool contributes towards the Comprehensive Area Assessment targets to which they are committed to. For example, the Council is targeted with increasing numbers of people participating in sport and they need to consider the effect closing Tunstall Pool would have on achieving these targets.

Secondly, I would like to see the Council urgently revive its objective to implement a sports strategy for the city. I have urged them to do this over the last few years and I have supported the idea of a sports village in the north of the city. This was also supported by Sport England and talks were well advanced following a sports summit at Crewe Hall. However, this appears to have lost momentum, although a detailed visit to see best practice at Telford did take place. Within the sports village I would like to see the Council upgrade Tunstall pool (and also Shelton which has a special role for people with disabilities) and, as well as protecting what we already have, go for funding for a new replacement pool which was always promised when Dimensions was being planned. The original plan for Dimensions was for a full size pool and a splashpool but in the end only the splashpool was built. We need to re-instate plans to build a proper swimming pool at Dimensions and urgently seek capital funding for this.

The Government has also made significant sums of money available for local authorities to improve swimming facilities. To coincide with the introduction of free swimming for those under 16 and over 60, the Government made £60 million available for upgrading and refurbishing existing swimming facilities. There are many examples of local authorities across the country accessing this money to improve swimming facilities and this seems like a missed opportunity for Stoke-on-Trent. In the West Midlands for example Wyndley Pool in Birmingham installed a moveable boom into the pool and Haden Hill Leisure Centre in Sandwell refurbished changing rooms and built a new reception area. These are just two of many examples.

My view has always been that the Council’s swimming policy needs to be synchronised with other policy areas. As well as the Local Strategic Partnership’s commissioning role, there are other funding streams which I have persistently urged the Council to pursue. The Council may have a limited budget for capital expenditure but in my view it should prioritise drawing down other funding streams by linking sport to other areas such as regeneration and education policy. For example, I pressed the Amateur Swimming Association to support the upgrade of James Brindley High School pool and we were able to secure Lottery funding. I also strongly encouraged the Council to work with the swimming association and Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent but I understand that the Council was waiting to agree its sport strategy before discussing swimming.

Given the widespread concerns that now exist following the disclosure that Tunstall (and Shelton) were under threat, I welcome the assurances that the new Chief Executive of the Council has given me that no decision will be made in this financial year. Now that any decision has been put on hold, I am calling for urgent round table talks between all partners including Tunstall bath users and Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to explore what options could be on the table to secure a future for the pool so that it is economic to run and in keeping with its heritage listed status.

I hope this gives a flavour of the efforts I have been making behind the scenes to secure a future for Tunstall pool and our other sports facilities. I thank you for your efforts campaigning on this issue and I can assure you that I will continue to do all I can to support you in trying to safeguard swimming facilities in our constituency.

Yours Sincerely

Joan Walley MP

There was an article in Private Eye under the Nooks and Corners section on the fate of Tunstall Baths in this week's edition " More on the closure of Britain's swimming pools which sems to continue as spending cuts bite.
http://www.pitsnpots.co.uk/blog/2010/02/private-eye-and-tunstall-baths

Stoke-on-Trent swimming pool for the disabled to close
From: Staffslive | 05 February 2010 | 0 views
By James Bell and Jon Gilmore. Shelton Swimming Pool in Stoke-on-Trent is the only pool in the area with disabled facilities, but could soon be closed by the City Council. The building needs £550,000 of maintenance repairs carried out on it, but budget cuts have put its future in danger.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?gl=GB&user=Staffslive

Councillor/MP name

Address

Address

Staffs

Postcode 

Date 

Dear Councillor/MP name 

I am extremely disappointed to learn that the Council is considering closing Tunstall Pool by 2012.  It is a well used and loved pool that enjoys attendances of approximately 2,000 people per week.  The Council should keep the pool open because: 

• It is a Victorian building with historic significance and the Council should be aiming to maintain the City’s heritage not destroy it.
• The City’s population is in poor health and the Council should be aiming to increase participation in swimming to increase the health and life expectancy of the population.
• The Government is actively promoting swimming and the Council should be following this initiative to increase swimming activity not reduce the number of pools that are available.
• The Council should be making sports and leisure facilities more accessible, not less.
• Stoke on Trent is already below average in achieving National Curriculum swimming targets.  The Pool is currently used for 20 hours of school lesson swimming every week, and this time will not be accommodated at other pools in the City, making the situation even worse.
• The Council has not promoted the Pool properly.  It has the perfect opportunity on its website to promote all of its revenue generating facilities, and it has not yet taken that opportunity to promote the Pool properly.
• The annual cost of running this swimming pool is small compared to the cost of putting up stainless steel art sculptures around the City.
• If the pool closes people in the north of the City will be forced to travel to the other side of the City to swim, which will have a consequential environmental impact.
• I don’t understand why the Council is looking to close facilities when they have themselves recognised that sport and physical activity opportunities are important in reducing crime and fear of crime.
• Other

• I enjoy swimming at Tunstall Pool because of the warm, friendly atmosphere that is so much better at a smaller pool than the larger, more modern facilities.
• My children go swimming at Tunstall Pool with the school.  It is their opportunity to learn to swim and without the school swimming lessons they will not have the opportunity to learn this skill.
• My children go to swimming lessons at Tunstall Pool.  The teachers are fantastic.  I have tried to get in to swimming lessons at other pools, but only Tunstall Pool could accommodate our needs.
• I go swimming at Tunstall Pool twice a week for the health benefits from swimming.  If Tunstall Pool closed I would not go to another Pool and my health would suffer as a result.
• I walk to Tunstall Pool, my closest pool, and if the Pool closed I would not go to another Pool.
• Tunstall Pool is the only public swimming pool in the north of the City, and I would not travel as far as Fenton to go swimming.
• I prefer Tunstall Pool because I enjoy swimming at a small Victorian Pool rather than a large modern facility.
• I don’t think the Council currently provides enough opportunity for young people in the area to get involved in different sports.  For example, where is the City’s water polo team or synchronised swimming team?
• I think that anti-social behaviour will increase in Tunstall if the Pool closes as young people will have less activities available to them.
• Other

I ask for your support on behalf of the people of Stoke on Trent and I look forward to hearing from you. 

Yours sincerely 

Having found out about Children's swimming lessons at Tunstall Pool via a teacher at Goldenhill Primary at the end of last week, we have been tonight to sign our son up for lessons starting from Saturday.

I must say having not been to Tunstall Pool for about 9 years, although not a lot has changed in the inside, ie the lockers and cubicles it was still as clean as it was all those years ago and you can still smell the "swimming pool taste" of all pools.

Having watched the kids who were having lessons tonight, they all looked as if they were enjoying themselves and the teachers were fantastic with the kids.

I will now be off to sign the petition to save Tunstall pool.

Someone who came across the site has sent this Gallery of images
http://www.potteriesimages.co.uk/portfolio84178.html

Local press site Pits N Pots today report that Labour councillors are opposing what they are calling the rulingtories policy of slash and burn

Labour Group Leader Councillor Mohammed Pervez said:

“Before deciding on their closure, the council should undertake a review to see if we can increase income from these facilities. Cutting the services outright and including forecast savings in the Medium Term Financial Strategy would not help the council budget, but more importantly it would be a disaster for local people who use and value these facilities.”

Also included in the Cabinet’s wish list for cuts are services like Stoke Speaks Out and cold weather gritting".

For the full story click the link below.

http://pitsnpots.co.uk/news/2010/01/labour-attacks-slash-and-burn-tactics

http://pitsnpots.co.uk/news/2010/01/save-tunstall-pool

Expect to see posters at the Cottage and the Syned Arms.

Stoke-on-Trent city council has gone ahead with proposals to close down the city's gymnastics centre and Tunstall swimming pool at a time when the Government are trying to get more people involved in sport. Will my hon. Friend see that his officials urgently consider whether funding can be made available with a joint, holistic approach, so that the inequalities in a place such as Stoke-on-Trent can be reversed and we can get more people, not fewer, to participate in sport?
Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North, Labour)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2010-01-18a.14.1&s=speaker:106...

Would it be possible to have PDF versions of the attachments please.