The fate of Keswick leisure pool continues to look bleak after campaigners were denied an independent survey into its condition.
The pool was closed in June after owners Allerdale Borough Council said it was no longer financially viable to keep it open.
However Friends of Keswick Leisure, a group opposed to the permanent closure, believe the original inspectors’ report – claiming remedial works costing up to £200,000 would only extend the pool’s operational lifespan by a short period – is flawed.
In a letter to the council, the group asked for permission to conduct their own survey, but their request was turned down at a meeting of Allerdale council.
According to the ruling, the council would only consider engaging a third party if they were carrying out the survey themselves.
The original report was commissioned in 2018 by Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) who run the facility at Keswick. Under the multi-site contract with Allerdale council, GLL’s management fee to run the facility has not been reduced since the pool closure.
The council’s response has been greeted with fury by FOKL members. Keswick resident Matt Riley said: “A cynical interpretation of that response could be that public servants don’t allow the public to commission and pay for an independent survey of a public asset that the public have paid for.
“The decision to close the pool was made on the basis of a survey paid for by the company that was supposed to be maintaining that asset, but doesn’t actually want to run that public asset for the public any more.”
Supporter Steve Harwood, a Keswick town councillor, says the decision to close the pool, with no commitment to replace it, has left local people in limbo.
“We’re looking at many years with no swimming lessons for school age children, lack of access to swimming for the elderly, those with chronic illnesses or recovering from operations, as well as lack of access to a training facility for the many sports clubs in Keswick,” he said.
“It’s unacceptable to refuse to work with us to find a short-term solution, such as repairing the existing pool.”
Meanwhile Cllr Markus Campbell- Savours, who represents Keswick on Allerdale council, accused his colleagues of a lack of transparency.
He said: “The council have already shown that they are in denial about how frustrated the community is. They need to open the books and prove the facility was not closed to bail out GLL.”
Cllr Tony Markley, executive member of Allerdale council with responsibility for leisure services, said: “The decision to close the pool was not an easy one and we apologise for any inconvenience it may be causing people.
“However, we could not continue with the situation whereby the pool was losing £250,000 and proving difficult to maintain – and this was before Covid-19 hit.”
Cllr Markley added that the council was committed to continue working with local people, including the friends group, to develop a plan so that they could build the right sporting facilities for the town.
