Don't pull the plug on Oaklands Pool
15th February 2007
UPDATE: You can now give your views about Oaklands Pool by filling in Alan Whitehead's online survey
Alan Whitehead has slammed Council plans to cut the opening times of Oaklands Swimming Pool in half as part of the Tory-Lib Dem budget pact.
Dr Whitehead was contacted by the Eastleigh and Oaklands Swimming Club about the Council’s proposals to cut by half the weekday opening hours at the pool. The club is concerned that the slashing of the opening hours will mean they will no longer have sufficient time to train at the required national level and could result in the death of the club.
Dr Whitehead said:
“There is a real danger of ‘creeping closure’ here. First the Council cuts the opening times. Then they see how much it costs to heat a pool that is empty half the time, and they use that as a justification for closing it all together.
He added:
“Closing swimming pools is a false economy. Providing exercise facilities saves taxpayers money on future NHS treatment. According to a Health of the Nation report published last year, illnesses caused by long term lack of exercise cost the British economy half a billion pounds a year.2
“The government has been trying to work with local authorities to achieve the goal of most people having a good swimming pool within 20 minutes of their home. We are much less likely to achieve this goal in Southampton if the Lib Dems and the Tories stick to their policy.”
The Liberal Democrat budget proposes cutting opening hours to between 4pm and 9pm during weekdays (a total of 5 hours), down from the current from 7.30am – 9pm (13.5 hours).
More information
- The Health of the Nation reports that if 70% of the population exercised for half an hour every weekday, or 150 minutes per week, sick leave could be cut by 2,783 808 days a year, boosting the economy by £487m. For more information see: http://www.healthclubbenchmark.com/Content/PressRoom/Articles/20060330UK-EN.aspx
- Oaklands Swimming Pool currently provides the following facilities & services:
- 5 x 25m lanes in the main pool; 10m learner pool. 30m long flume.
- Aquanatal classes
- National Pool Lifeguard Qualification trainin
