Do we want to lose Miles Platting pools?
As most people are probably aware there has been a campaign to keep our pool open. A petition has already been presented to Town Hall officials, letters have been written to members sitting on the leisure committee, health issues have been raised. Letters have been sent to the Manchester Evening News.

Councillor Marc Ramsbottom is supporting the campaign, he received the petition from Peter Shepherd and Terry Redikin, along with focus campaigner Peter Rothery, accompanied them to officially present the petition to the Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Hugh Barratt. Who will pass it on to the relevant department.

Councillor Ramsbottom said “We mustn’t stop campaigning for our pool, it is vital we keep it, especially now the Rochdale Canal is being deepened, parents are worried for their childrens safety. Children will always find a way to water but at least if they are able to swim they will be safer. If there is no pool in the area how are the children going to learn to swim? Parents don’t always have the time or money to travel out of the area to take their children to other pools. Eight and Nine year olds will still get swimming lessons provided for them through the schools system but what about the children not in that age group?”

Our reporters spoke to Councillors’ Jim Battle and Bill Edgerton who told us. “We have been fighting for some time now to keep this facility in Miles Platting.” They told us there have been ongoing problems with the pumping system and pipes at the swimming pools. “For some reason, when these pools were built the pipework was encased in cement, so any time repairs have to be made, its a case of drilling through the cement to get to the problem areas.”

At the moment further problems need investigating and these procedures are getting more costly every year, so it seems at some point it is possible that any repairs to the pipework or the pumping system may not prove to be cost effective.

“The council would take some stick (Rightly so) if it wastes tax-payers’ money.)”

Once these investigations have been carried out the leisure committee can decide whether it would be feasible to carry out repairs or not.

Councillor Bill Edgerton told us.“Of course if the repairs are too costly or unworkable, rest assured we will continue fighting to keep the facility in Miles Platting, there is no way the pools can be taken away and nothing put back into this community which has little enough leisure facilities as it is. We would insist on another pool being built in Miles Platting.”

Councillor Jim Battle said.
“It would be madness not to have a pool in the locality, the Rochdale Canal runs right through the area and of course children have a fascination for water, there must be the opportunity for them to learn to swim in a safe environment. But even so, Children in schools would still get their swimming lessons, they can be accommodated at schools who have a pool.

Kathryn Bates