Agenda item

Philip Wylie presented the ‘Prevent the closure of our local swimming pool in Buntingford’ petition.

The Executive Member for Wellbeing responded to the petition.

“Thank you for sharing this petition.  I have been keeping an eye on it myself, and I’ve seen just how important Ward Freman pool is to the community.  In the comments underneath, people have shared experiences of learning to swim at the pool when they were younger, of how it helped with their recovery from injury, of how it’s enabled them to keep active, and about how important it is that children learn to swim.  It’s also clear from the petition how valued the pool is as a community asset not just to Buntingford but also to surrounding villages.  Outside the petition, I’ve also had many emails and conversations with people about how much the pool means, and I absolutely understand and agree with the many benefits of swimming, the value it brings, and its role in maintaining health and wellbeing. 

The reason Ward Freman pool is closing at the end of term is for health and safety, as the filtration system is well beyond its expected shelf-life. Damaged pipework in the filtration system has resulted in a low flow rate and poor circulation.  There have also been cracks in other areas, and the pool plant requires replacement. For some time now, additional microbiology testing has been taking place to ensure the water is still safe, but concerns about the equipment continued to grow, and it has reached a point where Everyone Active (our contractor) no longer feels comfortable with the level of potential risk.  To continue knowingly operating with equipment that is no longer compliant puts not just the users, but the providers at significant risk, including risk of prosecution.  As a council, safety has to also be a priority, and we do not want to risk anyone becoming sick as a result of contaminated water.  However, underlying this closure is of course the costs involved in fixing the filtration system, which, due to very old pipework, necessitates draining the pool, itself in poor condition. 

While on paper, the cost of fixing the filtration system is around £550,000, the reality is that this is not the only problem with the pool.  The boiler is on the point of failing and the pool tank itself is very likely cracked and in need of replacement.  With the age of the facility, draining the pool to fix the filtration system brings with it the risk of the sides then collapsing, which would then add further significantly to the costs. 

Responsibility for Ward Freman pool is shared with Hertfordshire County Council, and capital works needs agreement from both parties.  In 2017, Ward Freman was identified to receive investment and improvements.  Whilst money for these upgrades was set aside in 2020, the repairs did not happen, as agreement between the two then- Conservative led councils could not be reached.  Money moved to 2021, and then to 2022, but again, repairs did not happen.  At the last budget setting prior to our administration, spend for Ward Freman was removed from the committed budget entirely.  The spend became ‘approved but not committed’ and was moved to the year 2025/26,

The Green/Lib-Dem administration inherited an extremely challenging financial situation, and extensive costly investment commitments.  We are required to save £6m over the next four years, and County has to save £10m this year alone.  As upsetting as it is, we have looked extensively at the current finances, and there simply isn’t the money available to fund in full these repairs, which now much more severe than when identified all those years ago.  Whilst little comfort, Buntingford is not the only town to feel they have missed out on capital spend, with many residents from other towns also feeling angered at seeing expensive projects in the two larger towns, yet little coming their way.  I’m also aware that people have asked about the Swimming Pool Support Fund, money from Section 106, and the money received by Fakenham.

To respond in turn:

-              The swimming pool support fund had strict eligibility criteria, published clearly on their website.  Specifically, it was necessary that the pool was able to remain open, and that the funding was not to be used for repairs. Unfortunately, we could not provide the assurances required to meet the eligibility criteria for this pot of funding.

-              In terms of Section 106, as a joint-use facility, East Herts Council cannot use its portion of section 106 money for the pool under the present arrangement.  Potentially this could change were arrangements with the facility itself to change, but as it stands, criteria for East Herts share of S106 money prohibits it being used for the pool.

-              Many people have asked why money was spent on a new cycle path, rather than fixing the pool.  To answer, the cycle path was a County Council project with money from Active Travel fund.  This money was ringfenced, and could therefore only ever have been used for Active Travel.

-             Finally, the Fakenham leisure centre received funding upgrades following an application made to round two of the UK Levelling Up Fund, which had a deadline of August 2022.  East Herts council at the time did some fairly extensive work to pull together an application for the Levelling Up Fund, however several components would have been carried out by Hertfordshire County Council, and at the time they were not able to support the bid.

With all that said, while the councils jointly are not in a position to fund these costs, it is very clear how much this facility means.  I, like you, feel it is crucial that we do whatever possible to try and salvage the pool.  I’ve been looking into a range of options outside of council funding that could help secure future funding. I, along with Buntingford ward councillors and residents of Buntingford are now working closely to see what other options might be available.  It has been heartwarming to see so many offers of help and support from residents keen to bring this facility back into use.  There are many grant pots that local authorities are not eligible to apply to, but charities and community groups are.  A survey is now in development to help understand what might improve revenue should the pool reopen.  In addition to this, whilst not able to fully fund the costs, East Herts council officers and councillors are keen to see what is possible in terms of financially supporting the upgrades and the project itself if it is able to open in future.

I am of course, under no illusion that this will be a challenging project, and that on further surveying of the building, problems could well emerge that render the site unviable.  However, we want to ensure that we have explored every avenue.  This petition clearly shows the value of the pool, and all the comments will not go to waste, as they are key to demonstrating a case for funding when developing grant applications.  The petition also speaks to the wider issue of swimming pools nationally, and the urgent need nationally to protect these vital assets.  We also have an email list for people who would like to be kept up-to-date, and I would be happy to add anyone else to the list.”

As the local ward member, Councillor Burt spoke on the petition. She understood the anger from residents that the town was growing but losing facilities. She said was pleased and grateful for the support and suggestions from the community to ensure that a swimming pool remained in Buntingford. She thanked those who had supported the petition and thanked Councillor Hopewell for her hard work in trying to find a solution.