Petition and public mtgs to delay closure of Acton Pool and Gym
Because no request for planning permission has yet been submitted to the council, a number of pool users, gym and studio goers, parents and local residents have been collecting signatures as part of a petition to save Acton Pool and Gym.The aim of this petition is simply to persuade the council to keep the baths and gym facilities open until planning permission has been approved. Please email me if you would like a copy of the petition forms to collect signatures from your friends and neighbours. There is a public meeting to gather and share support for this at the Acton Baths tomorrow evening, Thursday 6 Oct, 7.30pm; in addition to the Acton Central Ward Forum meeting this evening at St Marys Hall (opp Morrisons) at 7.30pm.We hope as many people as possible will attend both of these public meetings to let their feelings be known and give their support. Currently this valuable facility and community resource provides a huge range of activities to an extraordinary number of diverse groups, including:- A 33m main pool, available for lane swimming 7am to 10pm most days - Six aqua aerobics classes every week, popular among older groups (though not exclusively!)- Hydro-therapy sessions for people with mobility issues or recovering from surgery- A separate 23m pool used by school children groups most days, and other groups, such as women only leisure swimming- Evening and weekend swiming for families and children, including swimming galas- Private swimming tuition (adults and children)- Swim training for triathlons- A small but well fitted out gym (24 machines, of the same type used by Virgin Active); much less intimidating than the regular gyms available- Gym staff who'll design a programme for beginners, or those wanting their programme refreshed - A studio offering c.20 exercise classes every week, with equipment and music provided, and excellent teachers, such as zumba, step, boxercise, bums tums and thighs, power pump, pilates, yoga, and more, (some are so popular, people are turned away if they don't get there 10 minutes before the start!)- Martial arts classes very popular among children and teenagers,- And much more.The current building is of Victorian / Edwardian design and over 100 years old. Many people beleive that the planning approval process could take some time. What we don't want is for the building to close and lie idle when the current facilities are so popular, or for the council to knock it down while they apply and await approval for a new building. Could this happen?!? All completed petition sheets to date will be collected at the Acton Baths meeting (Thurs), and I imagine that we'll continue to collect signatures for some while after that as more people become aware of the council's planned closure. I haven't yet met the person that put the petition information together (pasted below), but everything in the text matches my and others experience of trying to talk to the council about this. ACTON POOL & GYM CLOSURE PETITIONFriends, fellow council tax payers and gym usersDid you know?The council are planning to close this facility as early as December 2011?But:•They have not published or responded to the results of the latest (July 2011) consultation plans•They have no final approved plans for the much lauded regeneration project•They have no confirmed funding in place•They have not applied for planning permission•They have provided no timeline for works or even a confirmed start date•They have refused to respond to questions on any of the above pointsIf they are allowed to close this facility – YOUR FACILITY – without any of these commitments in place, we face the very real prospect of an abandoned and derelict building in the heart of our community and the absence of any pool or gym facilities in Acton for the foreseeable future. However with enough support & signatures we may be able to keep it open until the building work begins.Please check Friends of Acton Pool notice board in main pool corridor for updates.Please pledge your support and sign up for further campaign updates below: And please do come along to the meeting we have organised to demonstrate the strength of community feeling and to coordinate a plan of action.Date: Thursday 6th OctoberVenue: Acton poolsTime: 1930hrs
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