Friends of Southwell Swimming Pool

24/06/2024

News Update - Significant Start to Fundraising and Support.
The trustees have met several times since the public meeting and have made progress on several fronts. We have had pledges of more than £10,000 so far, which is a great start. Over 20 applications have been received as trustees and members of the advisory group. We will be getting around to meeting everyone who has applied soon and we hope for more interest also. Get in touch if you feel you can help.
See the latest blog for more info -
https://www.southwellleisurecentre.co.uk/post/significant-start-to-fundraising-support

12/06/2024

***UPDATE***

The Trust are now quorate with 3 STC trustees and 1 independent trustee. At the beginning of June NSDC confirmed that they had stood down all of their trustees and were not planning to appoint any more.
So the Trust are now in a position to recruit 6 new independent trustees to help them to negotiate out of the lease with NSDC, get the pool repaired and plan the future of the leisure centre.

Please share the flyer below far and wide, the Trust are very keen to hear from anyone who feels like they can help in any capacity, whether it be as a trustee or on the Advisory Group.

The Trust also have a new website and page, please have a read for further information.

https://www.southwellleisurecentre.co.uk/

16/05/2024

08/05/2024

In 2022 Southwell Leisure Centre was leased to Newark and Sherwood District Council (NSDC) for 25 years.

This was because of revenue shortfalls due to COVID. The people of Southwell have good reason to be grateful to NSDC for saving their leisure centre from closing. NSDC have helped the Leisure Centre in many ways over decades. They have been a good partner.

However, of late relations between the Leisure Centre and NSDC have deteriorated. The pipes of the swimming pool developed a leak and was closed in October last year. NSDC are refusing to fix the leak contrary to the terms of their lease. Because of this a standoff has occurred. NSDC have said they will not fix the leak under any circumstances and will only progress with a replacement pool if the Leisure Centre and adjacent land owned by Southwell Town Council (STC) is transferred to their ownership.

So, at the very least the residents of Southwell and the surrounding area are going to be without a swimming pool for two years. Not a single document has been drafted by NSDC about the replacement swimming pool. By way of comparison the new Newark swimming pool took nearly ten years from concept to delivery.

FOSS still wish to see the current pool repaired as a matter of urgency. We cannot understand why this issue blocks any progress towards the long term objective of everyone - having a new pool.

This single issue has led to deep distrust of NSDC by the people of Southwell, which is why nearly two hundred people attended the STC meeting last Wednesday and why emotions were running high. But this is not really about a conflict between the people of Southwell and their Town Council, it’s an issue between the people and NSDC. Nobody represented NSDC at the meeting.

If it were possible to pour fuel on this fire of distrust, at exactly 5pm on Friday evening the leader of NSDC removed a number of Trustees from the Southwell Leisure Centre Trust (SLCT) and replaced them with three new Trustees who voted the following morning to transfer the assets of the Trust to NSDC without any public consultation.

Please sign our petition and share the link.

373 signatures are needed to reach the next milestone!

06/05/2024

On Friday night NSDC removed some trustees and replaced them with 3 new trustees - people who have been vocal about gifting the land. On saturday morning, with no consultation, the new trustees voted to hand over the land.

Please sign and share our petition.

Stop the NSDC asset grab.

02/05/2024

Following last nights Southwell Town Council meeting and the statement issued by Newark and Sherwood District Council yesterday evening, it is evident and was pointed out by more than one town councillor that this is not a conflict.

01/05/2024

Southwell Town Council & The Trust have, this morning, published their statement for tonight’s meeting.

It looks like they are choosing:
- To ignore 2370 people who petitioned for repair.
- To ignore all the evidence that points to the fact that a repair is possible and viable.
- Agree to transfer the leisure centre & land to NSDC without any confirmed plans of what the new pools will look like or when we will get them.
- To allow this town to be dictated to by NSDC without any compromise.

Please come along to the Minster School tonight at 7pm so you can hear how and why they have made the decisions they have.

30/04/2024

Please read our latest blog article, it's a really simple 3 minute explanation with evidence as to why we want our pool repaired.

Newark and Sherwood District Council figures show £20 million for a new pool compared with £247k to repair. FOSS want best value.

28/04/2024

Southwell Town Council told us they would call a public meeting as soon as they have been asked to give land to NSDC.

We DO NOT believe a new pool will ever happen, we want our pool repaired.

The meeting is this Wednesday at 7pm at the Minster School. Please join us.

26/04/2024

Thank you Southwell Town Council, finally a public meeting to discuss the future of the swimming pool.

Everyone welcome!

19/04/2024

Following our post from a couple of days ago, it seems we were wrong, I’m sorry.
No decisions were made during the Tripartite meeting held on Tuesday 16th April.
Southwell Town Council have not agreed or indeed been asked by Newark and Sherwood District Council to gift any land.
Thank you Southwell Town Council for confirming that you will involve the community in your future decision making.

A council has said it is “open to any suggestion to restore swimming” to a town — and reiterated its promises to involve the community in decisions.

16/04/2024

*Call to Action*

The Trustees met with Southwell Town Council (STC) and Newark and Sherwood District Council (NSDC) tonight and it appears that NSDC and STC have voted to push on with their plans - ie to get the £3m assets gifted to them and not repair the pool which Friends of Southwell Swimming Pool (FOSS) consider to be the best option.

Please come along to the STC meeting tomorrow to hear what they say and let them know what your feelings. They usually allow 20 minutes of public questioning.

Meeting 6.45pm @ The Old Courthouse on The Burgage.

15/04/2024

How can you help?

13/04/2024

We’re on the market today in Southwell, please come along and say Hi!

10/04/2024

If there is to be a new pool in Southwell it is likely mean loosing the 5-a-side pitch and over 50% of the only long stay carpark in the town. This would leave just 70 parking spaces for all Leisure Centre staff, users and Minster School students.

Where else would a 25m pool, training pool, changing facilities & plant room fit?

Please tag this post with any users of the 5-a-side pitch or the long stay carpark.



Read our latest blog:

Where will the new pool go? The land required to build a pool is likely to mean losing much of the car park and 5-a-side football pitch.

06/04/2024

Newark and Sherwood District Council have repeatedly refused to further investigate repairing the existing pool stating that a repair is not technically or financially feasible. Following a Freedom of Information request documents now provided by NSDC support our arguments that a repair is an option well worth considering.

These documents also confirm that NSDC have a legal duty to repair and maintain the pool.

Read more in our latest blog here:

FOSS continue to support and engage with Newark & Sherwood District Council (NSDC) in their plans to build a new swimming pool in Southwell.However, it is clear to all concerned that due to the complex legal issues regarding transfer of land from community ownership to the council, which they are re...

05/04/2024

A new pool in Teeside:
- Designed and built to Swim England standards.
- Original pool closed early 2020, planning for new pool approved April 2024, due to open Early 2026.
- Initial budget was £12m for a 25m pool, changing facilities and a spectator area.
- £7.7m added just for a learner pool.

Newark and Sherwood District Council must have some exceptional contractors to be able to promise a similar facility for £5.5m within 2 years.

The new facility in Eston will provide a 25 metre, six lane pool, a 150-seat spectator gallery, and a separate learner pool

30/03/2024

In 1994, the UK government established a Committee on Standards in Public Life. The remit of the committee was to make recommendations to improve standards of behaviour in public life.

Read more….. https://friendsofsouthwell.wixsite.com/swimmingpool