Leaders of Allerdale council have voted to continue with their original strategy for leisure provision in Keswick, despite concerns that it “lacks sufficient urgency.”
The council’s executive met on Wednesday, unanimously voting to continue with their plan for leisure activities in Keswick, a contentious topic following the closure of Keswick Swimming Pool.
The council permanently closed Keswick’s pool in 2021 as it was 10 years past its intended lifespan and had fallen into disrepair during lockdown.
A motion was passed in September, proposed by Councillor Markus Campbell-Savours, urging the administration to deliver a plan for alternate facilities “as quickly as possible.”
But councillors believe the executive’s proceeding strategy was not in the spirit of urgency, triggering a call-in. A proposal was brought to executive, after a special scrutiny committee, urging leaders to ensure the project progresses before the authority hands-over to Cumberland Council.
It was also recommended that officers ensure the issue is a priority for the new council.
But proposing that the council continues with its original plan, Cllr Marion Fitzgerald said: “There it is again in the proposed amendment, it refers to ‘letting the people of Keswick down’ and that’s a real disappointment for me, after all the discussion that took place during the call-in meeting itself about sowing seeds of discord and the use of emotive language and emotions in proposals to the council.”
Responding, Cllr Campbell Savours said: “Our request to the executive was quite simple. Get a move on and don’t break the promise made to the people of Keswick last year.”
The deputy leader said: “Can we just remind ourselves about the wording of the original motion? Because that had a reference to a sense of ‘ill feeling’ towards the council and you have to wonder what was actually driving this and why it is that the words from that particular pen always seem to provoke animosity?”
Cllr Campbell-Savours said: “Oddly, it appears I have been accused provoking animosity, when I have simply asked the council to acknowledge how upset the people of Keswick are their decision to close the pool.
“Quite frankly it’s a poor legacy for Allerdale Borough Council to leave behind.”
But Cllr Fitzgerald said: “What we actually want to do is work with people and to achieve what the Keswick residents want to see.”
Cllr Campbell-Savours said that leading councillors “have decided to ignore us and will continue to do the bare minimum.”
