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Good to
hear culture minister speaking-up over baths issue
• It is refreshing to read culture secretary Tessa Jowell’s
views on the Kentish Town Swimming Bath speaking both as a mother
and resident of the area (Tessa wades into pool row, February
2).
Too often we hear from politicians such nonsense that they appear
to be from some other planet.
Take Cllr Phil Turner, for example. He keeps repeating like
a mantra what he thinks residents want. For example, “21st-century
facilities”, usually accompanied by “four stars”
and “a state of the art leisure centre”.
What residents want are clean ordinary pools that would meet
the needs of everyone at a reasonable cost.
The Kentish Town Swimming Baths should not require £17
million being thrown at it. Just keep the Grade II listed shell
and build simple, effective pools within those walls.
These could be outside heated pools, or they could be protected
in the winter by a bubble.
What we do not want or need, is what Swiss Cottage has turned
out to be. Reduced pool facilities encased in some horrendous
building, endless delays in opening and unaffordable costs for
residents when they do eventually open.
Cllr Turner please listen to residents and stop telling them
what they want. In case you are still in any doubt, ask one
of Kentish Town’s most famous local residents. Tessa Jowell.
She at least seems to have some idea what mothers in Camden
really think or desire for their children
JEAN PAYNE
Elmore Street
N1
• Tessa Jowell is absolutely right when she says that
what we need is local swimming pools for local children.
What we do NOT need is the council’s plan to replace the
two main 30-metre pools at Kentish Town Sports Centre with a
single 25-metre pool – cutting swimming space by more than
half.
The pools are often full already through the first-rate range
of activities they support – schools, the development squads
for youngsters, groups such as women-only or the over-50s, and
ordinary swimmers. What will happen to these activities if swimming
space is cut by half? You can’t get a quart into a pint
pot.
And this is on top of what the council have already done at
Swiss Cottage swimming baths which will suffer a similar reduction
in swimming space. when they finally reopen.
The Victorians created the Kentish Town swimming baths as an
enduring legacy to succeeding generations. It’s pathetic
if we can’t even maintain them at their present size.
Roderick Allison
Elaine Grove
NW3
• I agree with Carin Battle (Look to Leisure, February
2) that money made from parking permits and fines would be best
used to maintain, refurbish or increase leisure facilities for
residents.
Perhaps then we would not resent it so much next time we receive
a parking penalty or have to fork out £90 for the privilege
of parking on our street.
That would kill two birds with one stone as far as Labour is
concerned. Find the money to save Kentish Town Swimming Baths
and other facilities whilst winning the hearts and mind of those
who bitterly resent the whole parking scheme and the money Camden
makes from it.
How to get Councillor John Thane on board is another matter.
Isn’t he the councillor who made it clear that swimming
facilities on Hampstead Heath should be abolished altogether?
CAROLINE LOVELESS
Prospect Place
NW3
• Ronald Spencer Jones is wrong when he says membership
fees recently advertised for the Swiss Cottage sports centre
were in the vicinities of £175 and £350 (Swim shame,
February 2).
In fact, things are much worst than that. The only membership
on offer at the moment costs a whopping £539.40.
Individual swims are likely to set you back £3.30.
This would obviously discourage young people of modest means
from using their brand new state-of-the-art facilities.
Camden’s Director of Leisure, Ian Nichols, has been bragging
that the public should be thankful for the new Swiss Cottage
Sports Centre. A centre which, incidentally, has caused five
years of total disruption to swimming and sports activities,
is not yet complete and promises much reduced swimming facilities
when it does open.
So far, the centre appears to be catering for the gentry rather
than the ordinary people of Kentish Town.
The high cost of yearly membership would seem to indicate that
Mr Nichols had a certain public in mind when he made his comments
about being thankful.
The rest of us need not apply, unless we are prepared to rob
a small bank on the way to the ticket office. Camden has been
feeding its residents mythology about the Swiss Cottage being
refurbished to cater widely for the public, when all along they
intended to involve private firms to take over and fleece the
customers.
The Kentish Town Swimming Baths are next on the agenda.
One thing must be made clear to our councillors and Camden’s
employees, including Mr Nichols. They are chosen to work for
the community. Not the other way around.
They should get things right swiftly or be prepared to lose
our votes, and their jobs.
DUNCAN MCMILLAN
Prince of Wales Road
NW5 |
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