Comments on: Mather to meet Board of Mid Argyll Swimming Pool as Council pulls the plug http://forargyll.com/2009/11/mather-to-meet-board-of-mid-argyll-swimming-pool/ Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:46:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: newsroom http://forargyll.com/2009/11/mather-to-meet-board-of-mid-argyll-swimming-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-21527 newsroom Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:32:21 +0000 http://forargyll.com/?p=17710#comment-21527 This comments has been emailed in by Ian McCallum: Hello Mr McGrigor and All I am obliged to you for your continuing help and support in your effort to save the pool and for obtaining the cost of support by the Council for our Council owned and run pools in Argyll and Bute District. This has now allowed me to withdraw the applications I made for the same data to the CEO under the freedom of information act on 6th and 10th November that has not yet been acknowledged or answered. Now that I can see the cost of running our various pools it is clear that the support that has been given to our pool by the Council has been derisory and it is not now surprising that the pool management buckled under the strain from this lack of support. I think we could now reasonably lay most of the responsibility and blame for this situation firmly at the door of the leader Councillor Walsh whom we pay to lead. In the previous paragraph I have just made comparison between the pools so I reject the CEO’s assertion that comparisons cannot be made between these pools and in view of the comparative cost of running them it is clearer than ever that the Mid Argyll pool has to be taken into Council ownership so that it can survive. At our Lochgilphead Community Council meeting when our Mid Argyll pool was about to close six months ago, I drew to the attention of our three local District Councillors to the fact that the closure of the pool was biggest impending disaster to befall this area since my arrival here sixteen years earlier. With no promise of material help since then here we still are with the imminent threat of closure of this vital amenity. They and their leader Councillor Walsh should be ashamed of themselves. For the MACEL directors, on doubt fed up to the back teeth with these councillors, how about a firm undertaking, rather than these vacuous assurances, that they will do whatever it takes, to keep this pool open. If things are really this bad they should close all these other pools and save us the £1.6 million a year. There would be some good sport in that as Neil Munro might have said! Ian This comments has been emailed in by Ian McCallum:
Hello Mr McGrigor and All
I am obliged to you for your continuing help and support in your effort to save the pool and for obtaining the cost of support by the Council for our Council owned and run pools in Argyll and Bute District. This has now allowed me to withdraw the applications I made for the same data to the CEO under the freedom of information act on 6th and 10th November that has not yet been acknowledged or answered.
Now that I can see the cost of running our various pools it is clear that the support that has been given to our pool by the Council has been derisory and it is not now surprising that the pool management buckled under the strain from this lack of support. I think we could now reasonably lay most of the responsibility and blame for this situation firmly at the door of the leader Councillor Walsh whom we pay to lead.
In the previous paragraph I have just made comparison between the pools so I reject the CEO’s assertion that comparisons cannot be made between these pools and in view of the comparative cost of running them it is clearer than ever that the Mid Argyll pool has to be taken into Council ownership so that it can survive.
At our Lochgilphead Community Council meeting when our Mid Argyll pool was about to close six months ago, I drew to the attention of our three local District Councillors to the fact that the closure of the pool was biggest impending disaster to befall this area since my arrival here sixteen years earlier. With no promise of material help since then here we still are with the imminent threat of closure of this vital amenity. They and their leader Councillor Walsh should be ashamed of themselves.
For the MACEL directors, on doubt fed up to the back teeth with these councillors, how about a firm undertaking, rather than these vacuous assurances, that they will do whatever it takes, to keep this pool open.

If things are really this bad they should close all these other pools and save us the £1.6 million a year. There would be some good sport in that as Neil Munro might have said!

Ian

]]> By: Patrick http://forargyll.com/2009/11/mather-to-meet-board-of-mid-argyll-swimming-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-19636 Patrick Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:43:23 +0000 http://forargyll.com/?p=17710#comment-19636 They say 'sarcasm is the lowest form of wit', and I agree. This problem is neither about some dim witted celebrity, nor some farce and so should be taken seriously. The staff of the Mid Argyll Community Pool, for whom everybody seems more than willing to leave unacknowledged, know the importance of the facility. We talk to anyone who comes through our door. We see the amount of people who come in for a myriad of health reasons. Scotland; notorious for health problems, has one local place to improve and indulge in aquatic exercise. One could easily argue that promoting active lifestyle would lowers NHS costs, and it wouldn't take a monkey to prove it. If anyone should be walking away, it should be the under paid, unappreciated staff, who work well beyond their duties. We feel that where credit is due, credit should be given. However, no news articles or reports ever mention the staff, and it has not gone unnoticed. “The petition which over 600 people have signed” ? Get your facts right. In the Pool’s office there are at least 3000 signatures, with more coming in. Don’t downgrade the number, nor the enthusiasm or the public. As usual the peasants toil to the land owners spoil’; and we all pay council tax. If you feel that the pool should shut because the board has gone to lengthy measures with no avail as yet, then keep your mouth shut and write about the weather. After all, sometimes you need to be thrown in the deep end to learn how to swim, (not that we the lifeguards condone that). They say ’sarcasm is the lowest form of wit’, and I agree. This problem is neither about some dim witted celebrity, nor some farce and so should be taken seriously. The staff of the Mid Argyll Community Pool, for whom everybody seems more than willing to leave unacknowledged, know the importance of the facility. We talk to anyone who comes through our door. We see the amount of people who come in for a myriad of health reasons. Scotland; notorious for health problems, has one local place to improve and indulge in aquatic exercise. One could easily argue that promoting active lifestyle would lowers NHS costs, and it wouldn’t take a monkey to prove it.

If anyone should be walking away, it should be the under paid, unappreciated staff, who work well beyond their duties. We feel that where credit is due, credit should be given. However, no news articles or reports ever mention the staff, and it has not gone unnoticed.

“The petition which over 600 people have signed” ? Get your facts right. In the Pool’s office there are at least 3000 signatures, with more coming in. Don’t downgrade the number, nor the enthusiasm or the public.

As usual the peasants toil to the land owners spoil’; and we all pay council tax. If you feel that the pool should shut because the board has gone to lengthy measures with no avail as yet, then keep your mouth shut and write about the weather. After all, sometimes you need to be thrown in the deep end to learn how to swim, (not that we the lifeguards condone that).

]]> By: Argyll News: Council statement on its position on the Mid Argyll Swimming Pool :Argyll,Argyll Bute,facility,MACEL, | For Argyll http://forargyll.com/2009/11/mather-to-meet-board-of-mid-argyll-swimming-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-19627 Argyll News: Council statement on its position on the Mid Argyll Swimming Pool :Argyll,Argyll Bute,facility,MACEL, | For Argyll Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:47:10 +0000 http://forargyll.com/?p=17710#comment-19627 [...] our earlier story: Mather to meet Board of Mid-Argyll Swimming Pool - a meeting due tomorrow (27th March) and to be accompanied by a discussion with Council officials. [...] [...] our earlier story: Mather to meet Board of Mid-Argyll Swimming Pool – a meeting due tomorrow (27th March) and to be accompanied by a discussion with Council officials. [...]

]]> By: Andy Paton http://forargyll.com/2009/11/mather-to-meet-board-of-mid-argyll-swimming-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-19558 Andy Paton Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:41:44 +0000 http://forargyll.com/?p=17710#comment-19558 As I mentioned on the Go-petition website, can we please have the Argyll and Bute Councillors state there personal opinion regarding the situation with Mid-Argyll Swimming pool. There has been a distinct silence regarding the Councils plan for saving the local swimming pool, simply where on earth do the families and children go to, to learn to swim, let alone engage in a local pastime. The council has a duty of care and responsibility to support the survival of the pool....do they suggest that we all migrate to Oban ?......or perhaps there are bigger plans to change Kilmory Council HQ into the playground that it certainly belongs !. There has been a complete lack of leadership or apparent interest on this issue by the council executive and quite honestly it would be to easy for this council if the Mid-Argyll Pool were to just go away......The council executive should support this local community resource or do the right thing and resign and let someone who can stand up and be counted explain why there has been such a lack of inertia (of the council) at this critical time. As I mentioned on the Go-petition website, can we please have the Argyll and Bute Councillors state there personal opinion regarding the situation with Mid-Argyll Swimming pool.
There has been a distinct silence regarding the Councils plan for saving the local swimming pool, simply where on earth do the families and children go to, to learn to swim, let alone engage in a local pastime. The council has a duty of care and responsibility to support the survival of the pool….do they suggest that we all migrate to Oban ?……or perhaps there are bigger plans to change Kilmory Council HQ into the playground that it certainly belongs !.

There has been a complete lack of leadership or apparent interest on this issue by the council executive and quite honestly it would be to easy for this council if the Mid-Argyll Pool were to just go away……The council executive should support this local community resource or do the right thing and resign and let someone who can stand up and be counted explain why there has been such a lack of inertia (of the council) at this critical time.

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