Temple Cowley Pool campaigners are backed by folk legend Peggy Seeger's new song

7:00pm Tuesday 27th November 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Freddie Whittaker, covering Politics and Kidlington. Call me on 01865 425498

Folk legend Peggy Seeger will play her second benefit gig for the Save Temple Cowley Pool campaign on Friday Picture: OX55837 Damian Halliwell Buy this photo » Folk legend Peggy Seeger will play her second benefit gig for the Save Temple Cowley Pool campaign on Friday Picture: OX55837 Damian Halliwell

CAMPAIGNERS against the closure of Temple Cowley Pools have unleashed their secret weapon – folk legend Peggy Seeger.

The American singer, who lives in Iffley Village, has written and recorded a song about the pools, which Oxford City Council wants to close and replace with a multi-million-pound leisure centre in Blackbird Leys.

She also played a benefit gig for the campaign group Save Temple Cowley Pools on Sunday and will perform at another on Friday.

Ms Seeger, 77, said: “I swim at the pool and they were outside campaigning one day and I got interested.

“I had been swimming there for about 18 months, and I had no idea the council wanted to close it down. I’ve had an interest in local campaigns for 50 or 60 years, and it struck me I could help with it.”

She said she had realised there was “a lot of clout” behind the campaign, and claimed the council figures show there is a good case for keeping it open.

She said: “It’s the only pool I have found that has steps to walk down. I can’t use the ladders they have at other pools because they hurt my feet.

“What I’ve done is made a song. Singing brings people together and music brings people together.”

She said the song featured different verses written from the points of view of different pool users, like older people, children and mothers.

She said: “There are lots of different people who use the pool – it’s used by all age groups. The song is very easy to sing, and the committee helped me get local people to sing all the verses.”

Ms Seeger was born in the US in 1935 but lived in Kent for more than 30 years and married fellow folk singer Ewan MacColl.

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She returned to her native America in 1994, but by 2009 she was missing England and moved to Oxford because she had fond memories of the city.

She said: “My first solo singing engagement was here in Oxford in a club. I loved the oldness of the place. I love living here and made lots of friends.”

Ms Seeger’s best-known compositions are Gonna Be an Engineer and The Ballad of Springhill.

She has written songs dealing with ecology, home-and-housework, unions, battered wives, jobs, abortion, weddings, feminism, 9/11 and the Vietnam War.

Ms Seeger performed at The Indian Room in Cowley on Sunday, and will perform another sold-out benefit for the group at the Grove House Rotunda, in Iffley Turn on Friday.

The money raised will go towards Save Temple Cowley Pools’ legal fees as it attempts to take the proposal to close the pool to judicial review.

Campaigner Nigel Gibson’s initial attempt to get permission for a judicial review was thrown out earlier this year, but the group has appealed against the decision.

A hearing will go ahead on December 7, at which a High Court judge will decide whether or not the group can go ahead with the legal challenge.

SONGS SHE MIGHT HAVE SUNG

  • Child waters
  • The Puddy in the pool
  • I’m gonna be a (pool) engineer
  • Six lords went a-swimming
  • There was an old pool

Comments (14)

8:55pm Tue 27 Nov 12

marti29 says...

Who?
Who? marti29

9:18pm Tue 27 Nov 12

Niko Bellic says...

I especially like the bit about the diving pool...

...with footage from a completely different pool altogether!!!
I especially like the bit about the diving pool... ...with footage from a completely different pool altogether!!! Niko Bellic

9:42pm Tue 27 Nov 12

Roger Spear says...

Have a look at Google, marti29 - obviously you need a bit of educating!
Have a look at Google, marti29 - obviously you need a bit of educating! Roger Spear

9:51pm Tue 27 Nov 12

Bartsimpson_uk says...

Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.
Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys. Bartsimpson_uk

12:33am Wed 28 Nov 12

gymrat34 says...

Bartsimpson_uk wrote:
Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.
Closer to Blackbird Leys residents.
With all the cuts around the country, is it right to spend more money on a new pool than the cost of refurbishing an existing one?
[quote][p][bold]Bartsimpson_uk[/bold] wrote: Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.[/p][/quote]Closer to Blackbird Leys residents. With all the cuts around the country, is it right to spend more money on a new pool than the cost of refurbishing an existing one? gymrat34

11:27am Wed 28 Nov 12

gymrat34 says...

gopher1882 wrote:
gymrat34 wrote:
Bartsimpson_uk wrote: Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.
Closer to Blackbird Leys residents. With all the cuts around the country, is it right to spend more money on a new pool than the cost of refurbishing an existing one?
idiot!!! It will cost less - i repeat - less to build a new pool then to renovate Temple Cowley Pool. The problem is - there is no intention of replacing Temple Cowley Pools with Blackbird Leys. Whether or not, Blackbird Leys opens, Temple will still be closed because it is too much of a drain on Council resources. The new pool will still be a vast improvement on the old pool but people can't see past the end of their nose. Will someone for once actually do some research, rather than hearsay.
Looks like you haven't seen the figures for costs of the new pool, costs of refurbishing Temple Cowley or the councils own maintenance costs.
[quote][p][bold]gopher1882[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]gymrat34[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Bartsimpson_uk[/bold] wrote: Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.[/p][/quote]Closer to Blackbird Leys residents. With all the cuts around the country, is it right to spend more money on a new pool than the cost of refurbishing an existing one?[/p][/quote]idiot!!! It will cost less - i repeat - less to build a new pool then to renovate Temple Cowley Pool. The problem is - there is no intention of replacing Temple Cowley Pools with Blackbird Leys. Whether or not, Blackbird Leys opens, Temple will still be closed because it is too much of a drain on Council resources. The new pool will still be a vast improvement on the old pool but people can't see past the end of their nose. Will someone for once actually do some research, rather than hearsay.[/p][/quote]Looks like you haven't seen the figures for costs of the new pool, costs of refurbishing Temple Cowley or the councils own maintenance costs. gymrat34

3:37pm Wed 28 Nov 12

AmandaJP says...

I'm not sure if the people know but the new proposed pool is costing over £13 million - it will be the same size as temple cowley current pool, will have no steam room and a smaller sauna. No diving pool. The closure of both the old bbleys pool and temple leisure centre will mean less swimming for school children (perhaps none for some school children) and clubs as well as local public or people coming from further afield who currently use temple cowley (as two well used pools will become one!).

If people use BB Leys from further afield (as they will no longer have access to a local leisure facility) it will seriously impact on the roads around BB Leys - it could however mean that BBLeys leisure centre could be used to more than its current 30% capacity - or could be a bit of a waste of money if it discourages anybody from further afield using leisure facilities at all (I suppose only time would tell)

The current information from the council does not take into consideration refurbishment costs, as they haven't obtained any refurbishment quotes - others have though, and these costs are in the region of £3 million (that's to bring it up to scratch and ensure it's carbon footprint comes down).

Perhaps instead of arguing everyone might like to agree to a full and transparent meeting with all parties or perhaps independent evaluators as well as local people (at a time when most people who are interested could come)??

I would certainly be interested in meeting the people who put on posts regarding the pool to discuss their concerns and to look at the information that has already been made available (there is still some pending that have been requested under freedom of information)!
I'm not sure if the people know but the new proposed pool is costing over £13 million - it will be the same size as temple cowley current pool, will have no steam room and a smaller sauna. No diving pool. The closure of both the old bbleys pool and temple leisure centre will mean less swimming for school children (perhaps none for some school children) and clubs as well as local public or people coming from further afield who currently use temple cowley (as two well used pools will become one!). If people use BB Leys from further afield (as they will no longer have access to a local leisure facility) it will seriously impact on the roads around BB Leys - it could however mean that BBLeys leisure centre could be used to more than its current 30% capacity - or could be a bit of a waste of money if it discourages anybody from further afield using leisure facilities at all (I suppose only time would tell) The current information from the council does not take into consideration refurbishment costs, as they haven't obtained any refurbishment quotes - others have though, and these costs are in the region of £3 million (that's to bring it up to scratch and ensure it's carbon footprint comes down). Perhaps instead of arguing everyone might like to agree to a full and transparent meeting with all parties or perhaps independent evaluators as well as local people (at a time when most people who are interested could come)?? I would certainly be interested in meeting the people who put on posts regarding the pool to discuss their concerns and to look at the information that has already been made available (there is still some pending that have been requested under freedom of information)! AmandaJP

5:38pm Wed 28 Nov 12

Andrew:Oxford says...

AmandaJP wrote:
I'm not sure if the people know but the new proposed pool is costing over £13 million - it will be the same size as temple cowley current pool, will have no steam room and a smaller sauna. No diving pool. The closure of both the old bbleys pool and temple leisure centre will mean less swimming for school children (perhaps none for some school children) and clubs as well as local public or people coming from further afield who currently use temple cowley (as two well used pools will become one!).

If people use BB Leys from further afield (as they will no longer have access to a local leisure facility) it will seriously impact on the roads around BB Leys - it could however mean that BBLeys leisure centre could be used to more than its current 30% capacity - or could be a bit of a waste of money if it discourages anybody from further afield using leisure facilities at all (I suppose only time would tell)

The current information from the council does not take into consideration refurbishment costs, as they haven't obtained any refurbishment quotes - others have though, and these costs are in the region of £3 million (that's to bring it up to scratch and ensure it's carbon footprint comes down).

Perhaps instead of arguing everyone might like to agree to a full and transparent meeting with all parties or perhaps independent evaluators as well as local people (at a time when most people who are interested could come)??

I would certainly be interested in meeting the people who put on posts regarding the pool to discuss their concerns and to look at the information that has already been made available (there is still some pending that have been requested under freedom of information)!
And it will be a beautiful new pool. Handy for the tens of thousands of people who look forward to using it.

Of course, as you know the dangerous diving pool has been closed for over a decade - fortunately there is another Diving Pool, open to the public at Radley College.

There is no real need for any more meetings. Despite the campaign to oust Labout from Oxford by the SaveTCP group, the people voted for the party that wants to deliver a new pool for the 1000s of people in East Oxford who appreciate it and within walking distance of tens of thousands of employees of private firms across South Oxford.
[quote][p][bold]AmandaJP[/bold] wrote: I'm not sure if the people know but the new proposed pool is costing over £13 million - it will be the same size as temple cowley current pool, will have no steam room and a smaller sauna. No diving pool. The closure of both the old bbleys pool and temple leisure centre will mean less swimming for school children (perhaps none for some school children) and clubs as well as local public or people coming from further afield who currently use temple cowley (as two well used pools will become one!). If people use BB Leys from further afield (as they will no longer have access to a local leisure facility) it will seriously impact on the roads around BB Leys - it could however mean that BBLeys leisure centre could be used to more than its current 30% capacity - or could be a bit of a waste of money if it discourages anybody from further afield using leisure facilities at all (I suppose only time would tell) The current information from the council does not take into consideration refurbishment costs, as they haven't obtained any refurbishment quotes - others have though, and these costs are in the region of £3 million (that's to bring it up to scratch and ensure it's carbon footprint comes down). Perhaps instead of arguing everyone might like to agree to a full and transparent meeting with all parties or perhaps independent evaluators as well as local people (at a time when most people who are interested could come)?? I would certainly be interested in meeting the people who put on posts regarding the pool to discuss their concerns and to look at the information that has already been made available (there is still some pending that have been requested under freedom of information)![/p][/quote]And it will be a beautiful new pool. Handy for the tens of thousands of people who look forward to using it. Of course, as you know the dangerous diving pool has been closed for over a decade - fortunately there is another Diving Pool, open to the public at Radley College. There is no real need for any more meetings. Despite the campaign to oust Labout from Oxford by the SaveTCP group, the people voted for the party that wants to deliver a new pool for the 1000s of people in East Oxford who appreciate it and within walking distance of tens of thousands of employees of private firms across South Oxford. Andrew:Oxford

9:23pm Wed 28 Nov 12

Pavinder Msvarensy says...

According to The Police Andrew, it most definitely is not, Nice One Cyril.
According to The Police Andrew, it most definitely is not, Nice One Cyril. Pavinder Msvarensy

11:44am Fri 30 Nov 12

DoctorBob says...

marti29 wrote:
Who?
The thing about idiots is that they are often blissfully unaware of their own idiocy. They also have an amusing habit of singing it from the rooftops.

Ewan McColl, now there was a real man of the people.
[quote][p][bold]marti29[/bold] wrote: Who?[/p][/quote]The thing about idiots is that they are often blissfully unaware of their own idiocy. They also have an amusing habit of singing it from the rooftops. Ewan McColl, now there was a real man of the people. DoctorBob

11:46am Fri 30 Nov 12

DoctorBob says...

Whoops, missed the a out of MacColl.
Whoops, missed the a out of MacColl. DoctorBob

10:41am Sat 8 Dec 12

gopher1882 says...

gymrat34 wrote:
gopher1882 wrote:
gymrat34 wrote:
Bartsimpson_uk wrote: Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.
Closer to Blackbird Leys residents. With all the cuts around the country, is it right to spend more money on a new pool than the cost of refurbishing an existing one?
idiot!!! It will cost less - i repeat - less to build a new pool then to renovate Temple Cowley Pool. The problem is - there is no intention of replacing Temple Cowley Pools with Blackbird Leys. Whether or not, Blackbird Leys opens, Temple will still be closed because it is too much of a drain on Council resources. The new pool will still be a vast improvement on the old pool but people can't see past the end of their nose. Will someone for once actually do some research, rather than hearsay.
Looks like you haven't seen the figures for costs of the new pool, costs of refurbishing Temple Cowley or the councils own maintenance costs.
I am extremely aware of the figures and am fully aware that £3m would not even make a dent in the refurbishment required to get Temple Cowley up to scratch because I am looking at this from the inside, not from the outside as most people commenting are. There will be no diving pool, correct, as there hasn't been at Temple for nigh on ten years. Also. if you look at the updated notes, you will see a sauna has been added to poolside! The pool will have enough facilities to cope with all the schools as this was one of the reasons for bringing in the whole scheme and had massive input in to what the design would be. As a resident of Blackbird Leys, I have no pool (Blackbird Leys pool is not adequate for any needs and is very rarely open to the public) so manage to walk and bus to Temple Cowley Pools from door to door in a very short time. Also, the comment about the knowledge of the silent majority is very true yet I speak to them every day.
[quote][p][bold]gymrat34[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]gopher1882[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]gymrat34[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Bartsimpson_uk[/bold] wrote: Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.[/p][/quote]Closer to Blackbird Leys residents. With all the cuts around the country, is it right to spend more money on a new pool than the cost of refurbishing an existing one?[/p][/quote]idiot!!! It will cost less - i repeat - less to build a new pool then to renovate Temple Cowley Pool. The problem is - there is no intention of replacing Temple Cowley Pools with Blackbird Leys. Whether or not, Blackbird Leys opens, Temple will still be closed because it is too much of a drain on Council resources. The new pool will still be a vast improvement on the old pool but people can't see past the end of their nose. Will someone for once actually do some research, rather than hearsay.[/p][/quote]Looks like you haven't seen the figures for costs of the new pool, costs of refurbishing Temple Cowley or the councils own maintenance costs.[/p][/quote]I am extremely aware of the figures and am fully aware that £3m would not even make a dent in the refurbishment required to get Temple Cowley up to scratch because I am looking at this from the inside, not from the outside as most people commenting are. There will be no diving pool, correct, as there hasn't been at Temple for nigh on ten years. Also. if you look at the updated notes, you will see a sauna has been added to poolside! The pool will have enough facilities to cope with all the schools as this was one of the reasons for bringing in the whole scheme and had massive input in to what the design would be. As a resident of Blackbird Leys, I have no pool (Blackbird Leys pool is not adequate for any needs and is very rarely open to the public) so manage to walk and bus to Temple Cowley Pools from door to door in a very short time. Also, the comment about the knowledge of the silent majority is very true yet I speak to them every day. gopher1882

4:24pm Sun 9 Dec 12

AmandaJP says...

gopher1882 wrote:
gymrat34 wrote:
gopher1882 wrote:
gymrat34 wrote:
Bartsimpson_uk wrote: Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.
Closer to Blackbird Leys residents. With all the cuts around the country, is it right to spend more money on a new pool than the cost of refurbishing an existing one?
idiot!!! It will cost less - i repeat - less to build a new pool then to renovate Temple Cowley Pool. The problem is - there is no intention of replacing Temple Cowley Pools with Blackbird Leys. Whether or not, Blackbird Leys opens, Temple will still be closed because it is too much of a drain on Council resources. The new pool will still be a vast improvement on the old pool but people can't see past the end of their nose. Will someone for once actually do some research, rather than hearsay.
Looks like you haven't seen the figures for costs of the new pool, costs of refurbishing Temple Cowley or the councils own maintenance costs.
I am extremely aware of the figures and am fully aware that £3m would not even make a dent in the refurbishment required to get Temple Cowley up to scratch because I am looking at this from the inside, not from the outside as most people commenting are. There will be no diving pool, correct, as there hasn't been at Temple for nigh on ten years. Also. if you look at the updated notes, you will see a sauna has been added to poolside! The pool will have enough facilities to cope with all the schools as this was one of the reasons for bringing in the whole scheme and had massive input in to what the design would be. As a resident of Blackbird Leys, I have no pool (Blackbird Leys pool is not adequate for any needs and is very rarely open to the public) so manage to walk and bus to Temple Cowley Pools from door to door in a very short time. Also, the comment about the knowledge of the silent majority is very true yet I speak to them every day.
The refurbishment 'specialists' are very clear about the costs ....maybe you should have a word with them yourself.

The proposed pool is the same size as the current temple cowley pool and both are VERY well used by schools...therefore it is not hard to figure out school children will be affected by the closure ..as will the clubs and therefore the general public!?

I'm a BBLeys resident and find getting to Temple Cowley easy on both foot, cycle and car!

Given the funds the council have found for the increasing costs of the new pool (not due to the campaign) I'm sure they could refurbish Temple Cowley and build a new pool...!
[quote][p][bold]gopher1882[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]gymrat34[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]gopher1882[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]gymrat34[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Bartsimpson_uk[/bold] wrote: Blackbird Leys pool will be closer than temple Cowley. So if you want to get involved in local matters then start campaigning for the pool to be built at blackbird Leys.[/p][/quote]Closer to Blackbird Leys residents. With all the cuts around the country, is it right to spend more money on a new pool than the cost of refurbishing an existing one?[/p][/quote]idiot!!! It will cost less - i repeat - less to build a new pool then to renovate Temple Cowley Pool. The problem is - there is no intention of replacing Temple Cowley Pools with Blackbird Leys. Whether or not, Blackbird Leys opens, Temple will still be closed because it is too much of a drain on Council resources. The new pool will still be a vast improvement on the old pool but people can't see past the end of their nose. Will someone for once actually do some research, rather than hearsay.[/p][/quote]Looks like you haven't seen the figures for costs of the new pool, costs of refurbishing Temple Cowley or the councils own maintenance costs.[/p][/quote]I am extremely aware of the figures and am fully aware that £3m would not even make a dent in the refurbishment required to get Temple Cowley up to scratch because I am looking at this from the inside, not from the outside as most people commenting are. There will be no diving pool, correct, as there hasn't been at Temple for nigh on ten years. Also. if you look at the updated notes, you will see a sauna has been added to poolside! The pool will have enough facilities to cope with all the schools as this was one of the reasons for bringing in the whole scheme and had massive input in to what the design would be. As a resident of Blackbird Leys, I have no pool (Blackbird Leys pool is not adequate for any needs and is very rarely open to the public) so manage to walk and bus to Temple Cowley Pools from door to door in a very short time. Also, the comment about the knowledge of the silent majority is very true yet I speak to them every day.[/p][/quote]The refurbishment 'specialists' are very clear about the costs ....maybe you should have a word with them yourself. The proposed pool is the same size as the current temple cowley pool and both are VERY well used by schools...therefore it is not hard to figure out school children will be affected by the closure ..as will the clubs and therefore the general public!? I'm a BBLeys resident and find getting to Temple Cowley easy on both foot, cycle and car! Given the funds the council have found for the increasing costs of the new pool (not due to the campaign) I'm sure they could refurbish Temple Cowley and build a new pool...! AmandaJP

4:29pm Sun 9 Dec 12

AmandaJP says...

Andrew:Oxford wrote:
AmandaJP wrote: I'm not sure if the people know but the new proposed pool is costing over £13 million - it will be the same size as temple cowley current pool, will have no steam room and a smaller sauna. No diving pool. The closure of both the old bbleys pool and temple leisure centre will mean less swimming for school children (perhaps none for some school children) and clubs as well as local public or people coming from further afield who currently use temple cowley (as two well used pools will become one!). If people use BB Leys from further afield (as they will no longer have access to a local leisure facility) it will seriously impact on the roads around BB Leys - it could however mean that BBLeys leisure centre could be used to more than its current 30% capacity - or could be a bit of a waste of money if it discourages anybody from further afield using leisure facilities at all (I suppose only time would tell) The current information from the council does not take into consideration refurbishment costs, as they haven't obtained any refurbishment quotes - others have though, and these costs are in the region of £3 million (that's to bring it up to scratch and ensure it's carbon footprint comes down). Perhaps instead of arguing everyone might like to agree to a full and transparent meeting with all parties or perhaps independent evaluators as well as local people (at a time when most people who are interested could come)?? I would certainly be interested in meeting the people who put on posts regarding the pool to discuss their concerns and to look at the information that has already been made available (there is still some pending that have been requested under freedom of information)!
And it will be a beautiful new pool. Handy for the tens of thousands of people who look forward to using it. Of course, as you know the dangerous diving pool has been closed for over a decade - fortunately there is another Diving Pool, open to the public at Radley College. There is no real need for any more meetings. Despite the campaign to oust Labout from Oxford by the SaveTCP group, the people voted for the party that wants to deliver a new pool for the 1000s of people in East Oxford who appreciate it and within walking distance of tens of thousands of employees of private firms across South Oxford.
I didn't vote Labour in...and certainly won't vote for them in the future!

I also don't know where you get the 'tens of thousands' that will use the new pool - the current gym is only used to 30% capacity and I know lots of people who will feel unable to get to the new pool from where they live?? It's only on the number 5 and 1 route??

I'd personally like the old pool to be refurbished, I'm sure it will be 'beautiful' too!

But I agree about the current BB pool, they need to make it more accessible to the general public, although I'm grateful its currently well used by school children and clubs, it's sad to know that so many people in the UK still can't swim and don't have the chances that we currently seem to have in Oxford (although possibly not for much longer in the council go ahead with their plans)
[quote][p][bold]Andrew:Oxford[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]AmandaJP[/bold] wrote: I'm not sure if the people know but the new proposed pool is costing over £13 million - it will be the same size as temple cowley current pool, will have no steam room and a smaller sauna. No diving pool. The closure of both the old bbleys pool and temple leisure centre will mean less swimming for school children (perhaps none for some school children) and clubs as well as local public or people coming from further afield who currently use temple cowley (as two well used pools will become one!). If people use BB Leys from further afield (as they will no longer have access to a local leisure facility) it will seriously impact on the roads around BB Leys - it could however mean that BBLeys leisure centre could be used to more than its current 30% capacity - or could be a bit of a waste of money if it discourages anybody from further afield using leisure facilities at all (I suppose only time would tell) The current information from the council does not take into consideration refurbishment costs, as they haven't obtained any refurbishment quotes - others have though, and these costs are in the region of £3 million (that's to bring it up to scratch and ensure it's carbon footprint comes down). Perhaps instead of arguing everyone might like to agree to a full and transparent meeting with all parties or perhaps independent evaluators as well as local people (at a time when most people who are interested could come)?? I would certainly be interested in meeting the people who put on posts regarding the pool to discuss their concerns and to look at the information that has already been made available (there is still some pending that have been requested under freedom of information)![/p][/quote]And it will be a beautiful new pool. Handy for the tens of thousands of people who look forward to using it. Of course, as you know the dangerous diving pool has been closed for over a decade - fortunately there is another Diving Pool, open to the public at Radley College. There is no real need for any more meetings. Despite the campaign to oust Labout from Oxford by the SaveTCP group, the people voted for the party that wants to deliver a new pool for the 1000s of people in East Oxford who appreciate it and within walking distance of tens of thousands of employees of private firms across South Oxford.[/p][/quote]I didn't vote Labour in...and certainly won't vote for them in the future! I also don't know where you get the 'tens of thousands' that will use the new pool - the current gym is only used to 30% capacity and I know lots of people who will feel unable to get to the new pool from where they live?? It's only on the number 5 and 1 route?? I'd personally like the old pool to be refurbished, I'm sure it will be 'beautiful' too! But I agree about the current BB pool, they need to make it more accessible to the general public, although I'm grateful its currently well used by school children and clubs, it's sad to know that so many people in the UK still can't swim and don't have the chances that we currently seem to have in Oxford (although possibly not for much longer in the council go ahead with their plans) AmandaJP

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