Those calling for a 50-metre pool as part of the renovation of the Castle Sports Complex have been told to ‘move away from the negativity’.
Councillors James and Mark Le Sage have led the calls for the pool to be of that standard and have regularly brought it up at meetings of South Holland District Council.
Spalding para-swimming champion Orlaigh Greer has also joined the calls otherwise she’d have to travel elsewhere for training.
South Holland District Council has been given £20m of Levelling Up funding for the project and is also contributing £6m itself.
But it looks unlikely a 50 metre pool will be included after Coun James Le Sage raised it at last week’s Full Council meeting.
Coun Gary Taylor, the portfolio holder for leisure centre delivery, said: “We have a desire for these sports facilities and that’s why our bid to the government for the money was successful when many other councils weren’t.
“It needs to move on from focussing on the new swimming pool. This is not a new swimming pool on its own.
“It’s a health and wellbeing hub. It’s a redevelopment for activities, extra care housing.
“It’s a very bold and ambitious plan.
“It’s for the masses. I’m proud to be in this position and it reopening in a couple of years’ time.
“We need to move away from any negativity around this. We need to support this.
“We’ve seen locally places have lost facilities. We have not.
“We’re building on what we have and redeveloping this as part of an exciting opportunity.
“Not all people in the district use the swimming pool, but do use the health and wellbeing hub.
“We need to deal with problems with obesity and older people need to use the facility as well.”
Leader of the council Nick Worth said Coun James Le Sage was on ‘icy ground’ with the question due to his brother Mark being a coach at Spalding Water Polo Club and urged him to speak to the authority’s monitoring officer after not declaring it as a potential interest.
Coun James Le Sage responded: “I can only conclude you don’t have the desire to make it the best facility.”
He’d earlier told the meeting that he’d measured the site and deduced there was enough space for a 50m pool and claimed the funding already allocated would cover it.
