Having recently seen for myself the condition of the Ley’s paddling pool in Witney, I am dismayed that West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) feels it appropriate to provide a grant of £45,000 towards replacing it with a ‘Splash Park’.

The town council’s ‘modus operandi’ of late seems to be to render a facility unusable on ‘safety grounds’ and then to suggest a disproportionate amount of time, money and public consultation is required to replace it or make it useable once again (see Corn Exchange fiasco).

These situations are most likely the result of the council’s inability to carry out a satisfactory maintenance works programme. The total cost of £200,000 seems an extraordinary amount of money to replace something that was perfectly adequate for years and still has years of use left in it if maintained properly.

So, my view would be to mend the broken slabs, give the paddling pool a lick of paint, fill it with water and allow children to once again enjoy a perfectly good facility – and let WODC spend the £45,000 on something that really is necessary.

DAVID LEACH, Taphouse Avenue, Witney


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