Historic pool backed by Wycombe's ramblers (From Bucks Free Press)
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Historic pool backed by Wycombe's ramblers
11:10am Friday 20th February 2009 in
RAMBLERS have thrown their support behind a campaign to save Holywell Mead outdoor swimming pool.
Mandy Williams, a member of the Wycombe branch of the Ramblers Association, has gathered 66 names to add to the petition being run by the South Bucks Star, a sister newspaper of the Bucks Free Press.
The pool, which has stood in The Rye, High Wycombe, for more than 50 years, is threatened with closure as part of £2m in cutbacks being made by Wycombe District Council.
The Warren Wood Drive resident said: ”The people who have signed this have come from far and wide. They agree with the principle of keeping an open air pool open.
“One of the reasons we moved to the area was the fact there was this pool so close by. It would be a real shame if they were to close it now they have put the new play area in there.
“More could be done on to promote the pool. It's not just there for sunny days, the water is nice and warm as it is heated.”
She added: “I think with the credit crunch people will be staying closer to home this year for holidays, so I think the pool would be quite busy this year.”
Mrs Williams said she has been using the pool since she moved to the area 25-years-ago, and used to take her children there when they were young.
She added: “I just like swimming outdoors. I like the green open spaces, and the fact it is only five minutes from my house means sometimes it is like my own private swimming pool.
“If they get rid of it what will they put in its place? It would be really sad to see it go.”
Nearly 400 people have now added their name to the South Bucks Star's petition to save the pool.
The final decision on whether to approve the budget will be taken at a full council meeting next Thursday.
Click the link to the right to fill out a form and have your say.
Comments(18)
smiley cat
says...
11:42am Fri 20 Feb 09
Is it worth spending the money on a facility that is only used 3 - 4 months a year by a relative minority of the population of High Wycombe. I would genuinely like some responses from people who are not politically motivated.
What would it take to encourage people to use the pool? Have the council explored other ways to make it profitable.
To be completely pragmatic, I would rather my money be used on different things if it is not worth keeping this pool open. Equally though, if they do close it, will they use it for something else that will benefit the town? The Rye is a beautiful open space and we are lucky to have it.
security word - good-area
Plus ça change...
says...
12:20pm Fri 20 Feb 09
We need a really modern water leisure facility with good and easy access and lots of parking.
Somewhere and sometime.
Isn't this dipping our toes in the shallow end of the past?
Regular Poster
says...
12:43pm Fri 20 Feb 09
I would be interested in knowing if the council have explored putting a roof over the complex to allow all year round use - maybe one that had a clear ceiling so as not to loose the sun. If it cost say £250k but returned an extra £50k per year then the pay back is not that great.
Bloke from
says...
1:50pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Open-air pool, underwater rambling. Presumably with teams of 33 a side and they will wear different coloured Borat costumes?
SW = bird-stop
towncryer
says...
1:57pm Fri 20 Feb 09
it needs a roof
It needa sauna and jaccusis
HAs to be open daily -- i know many users after sport would use pool if it was open
Come on Clarke and Green -- accept public opinion it says pool stays !!
smiley cat
says...
2:26pm Fri 20 Feb 09
towncryer wrote:But if it has a roof how would it make it any different from the one at Handy Cross and also do we need two indoor pools?
Pool needs to be saved it needs a roof It needa sauna and jaccusis HAs to be open daily -- i know many users after sport would use pool if it was open Come on Clarke and Green -- accept public opinion it says pool stays !!
Save Wycombe
says...
3:47pm Fri 20 Feb 09
smiley cat
says...
4:18pm Fri 20 Feb 09
Save Wycombe wrote:All the opposition party has done is slate the council.
This just proves that it's not just opposition politicians that care about the future of our pool. I seriously doubt whether the council has given any thought to alternative ways of making the pool viable. It is not a small minority of Wycombe residents who use the pool, it's a sizeable minority - an average of 10000 users a year over the last five years. Now, if those 10000 people were to use their votes...
Instead of doing that I would like to know what they would do and more to the point how they would fund it!
yog
says...
5:43pm Fri 20 Feb 09
dems.org.uk/saveourp
ool is as follows:-
We, the undersigned, are opposed to the closure of Holywell Mead Open Air Swimming Pool believing it to be a valuable community facility that brings wide social and health benefits to us all. We call on Wycombe District Council to stop the closure of Holywell Mead Open Air Swimming Pool and instead work with local residents to secure a viable future for the pool.
At present the Conservatives want to close the pool and then tell us 'sometime in 2009/10' what they want to put there.
This is the crux of the problem that they have just decided to close the pool without any consultation whatsoever. If there was a consultation then everyone can get together and come up with a viable plan for the future of the pool!
Save Wycombe
says...
5:54pm Fri 20 Feb 09
smiley cat wrote:There are many things they could do, but I don't think the council has considered any of them! There are other successful lidos in the country - a good starting point would be to look at them. A few ideas of my own would be:
Save Wycombe wrote:All the opposition party has done is slate the council.
This just proves that it's not just opposition politicians that care about the future of our pool. I seriously doubt whether the council has given any thought to alternative ways of making the pool viable. It is not a small minority of Wycombe residents who use the pool, it's a sizeable minority - an average of 10000 users a year over the last five years. Now, if those 10000 people were to use their votes...
Instead of doing that I would like to know what they would do and more to the point how they would fund it!
Sponsorship - this is used already by some councils.
Promotion - WDC has done nothing to promote the facility. Many people are unaware of Holywell Meads existence, let alon when it's open or the fact that it is heated.
Slides - many young families travel to pools outside the area (eg Windsor) because the kids want slides at the pool.
Removable cover - would ensure more people used the pool when the sun wasn't shining.
Sometimes you have to invest a little to make something profitable in the long term. Don't worry, WDC could afford it if they wanted too - it's all about priorities!
smiley cat
says...
6:03pm Fri 20 Feb 09
You need to do better than that I am afraid - much better.
yog
says...
7:57pm Fri 20 Feb 09
What you have to bear in mind is that when you are not in control of a Council you do not have the resources of council staff to explore these ideas and cost them fully (which is right, if you are not elected to run the Council then you can hardly expect to take up this valuable resource)
All an opposition can do is suggest different paths to go down and new ideas that will inspire the ruling group to take up.
At present no one outside of Councillors are allowed to see the budget due to be set next week. Once the cabinet agrees on the budget on Tuesday, everyone will then have less than 2 days to comment on it. That is local democracy Conservative style!
I would like to see the Conservatives say that they are prepared to keep the pool open for 2 years and work with the many local residents who want to keep it open. I would like a 'Friends of Holywell Mead' group formed who can sit down and work with the Council on the pools future. The friends group can work on alternative funding ideas, create publicity and improve this great community facility.
As for funding there is enough waste in local government to fund these community facilities as I have remarked on numerous stories on this site.
Until the Conservatives change their mind then the Liberal Democrats have every right to criticise and challenge them at every opportunity.
The Judge
says...
9:10am Sat 21 Feb 09
THE RYE POOL IS A MONEY PIT.
JUDGE
towncryer
says...
12:28pm Sat 21 Feb 09
The Judge wrote:Handy cross is not a community pool
SPEND THE MONEY ON HANDY CROSS THE RYE POOL IS A MONEY PIT. JUDGE
Holywell mead is -- its also a piece of heritage thatbthe town needs to protect
Suggest Judge keeps comments to stokenchurch where hen lives .
Let Town people decide on town issues
Bring on a town counci for wycombe !!!
The Judge
says...
2:09pm Sun 22 Feb 09
towncryer wrote:ITS AN OUTDATED BACTERIA RIDDEN HOVEL THAT NEEDS EXTENSIVE CASH INJECTIONS NOT JUST TO BRING IT UP TO SCRATCH BUT EVERYEAR. LETS START A PETITION TO HASTEN THE DEMISE OF THE POOL AND CONSTRUCT SOMETHING BETTER - MAYBE WHEN WE GET OUR ICE BANK FUNDS BACK - IN A WORD -
The Judge wrote:Handy cross is not a community pool
SPEND THE MONEY ON HANDY CROSS THE RYE POOL IS A MONEY PIT. JUDGE
Holywell mead is -- its also a piece of heritage thatbthe town needs to protect
Suggest Judge keeps comments to stokenchurch where hen lives .
Let Town people decide on town issues
Bring on a town counci for wycombe !!!
NEVER
JUDGE
Save Wycombe
says...
4:54pm Mon 23 Feb 09
towncryer
says...
6:23pm Mon 23 Feb 09
there is a the second petition going to Cllr Green on Tuesday at 5.45pm --over 2000 signatures im told
Wake up Cllr Green and Cllr Clarke your electorate is speaking !!!!!
The Judge
says...
3:31pm Tue 24 Feb 09
Save Wycombe wrote:BAH RUBBISH
Judge, typing everything in BLOCK CAPITALS doesn't add any more weight to your comments - it just makes you look like you should be issued with crayons. Holywell Mead is not a money pit, it's a well loved community facility. Just because you don't use it - spare a thought for those who do!
JUDGE
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Mandy Williams enlisted local ramblers in a bid to save the treasured Holywell Mead pool
Campaigners have been battling to save the pool since December
The pool will not open this summer if the council decides to close it
Hundreds of people have signed petitions to save the pool
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