Thumbs up for Kirkham Pool
After months of talks and negotiations the deal to hand Kirkham Pool over to the Fylde Coast YMCA has been sealed after talks have finalised the conditions to keep the pool open.
Swimmer in a pool doing the butterfly stroke
Residents can now celebrate after Fylde Borough Council and the YMCA have passed the proposals in their budget meetings this week. The council resolved to dispose of the pool to the YMCA at this week’s budget meeting after further talks with the group required a slight amendment to the agreement. This was then passed to the YMCA who held a special meeting of its financial directors last night (Wednesday) to rubber stamp the deal.
The arrangements will see the council hand over the pool to the YMCA who will then incorporate the pool into its fitness facilities. The Council will offer a subsidy, made up from Government grants designed to promote health and wellbeing and aid with government free swimming for the over 60’s and under 16’s initiatives. This will help to keep the provision of swimming within the Area.
Councillor John Coombes, Leader of Fylde Borough Council said: “We have been working on this now for what seems to be an eternity but I am thrilled that the hard work of everyone involved has paid off and the pool will be kept open.
“The decision to close the pool in the first place was not one we were pleased at having to make and it is a shame that no organisation came forward to save the St Annes pool in the way the YMCA has with Kirkham. However thanks to the work involved in this project we now have a workable solution to St Annes Pool that, if an organisation could come forward to take the pool on board, could see that pool reopen too.”
Councillor Simon Renwick, Cabinet Member for Community Services, has been involved in pushing the negotiations forward and added: “Provision of swimming is not a statutory requirement for the council but it is one that we feel is important as a service to our residents. This solution allows us to keep swimming within the Fylde without costing the tax payer more than is acceptable. I have to thank everyone at the YMCA and the organisations involved in the process for making this possible.”
John Cronin, Executive Director, Fylde Coast YMCA said: “We are really pleased with the decision. Providing swimming for the local community is all we have wanted for the last 5 years and we’ll do our utmost to make this work with the community’s support.
“It’s always been our aim to re-open St Annes Pool as well and we hope to do this with the assistance of the council.”
Councillor John Coombes concluded: “I wish the YMCA every success in taking on the Pool and the Council will remain heavily involved with the management process to help in any way we can. I would like to remind residents of my original comments though. It was a decline in public attendance that pushed us to close the pool in the first place. Only through increased use will the pool survive now so I urge residents to maintain their support for the pool by making regular use of it.”
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