The following open letter has been sent to Leeds City Councillors Keith Wakefield and Adam Ogilvie:
Dear Keith Wakefield & Adam Ogilvie
SOUTH LEEDS SPORTS CENTRE
It is some time now since the sports centre was temporarily closed and we at SPLASH are concerned that whilst we have heard from you about your desire to keep the centre open we are not aware of any timescale or concrete plans for the Centre. We are worried that as time ticks by this may not be at the forefront of your agenda and are keen to ensure that the trail does not run cold.
In your election statement of 2010, you were both keen to keep the sports centre open and we did note, however, that this wasn’t repeated in your 2011 statement which, as you are now the majority party within the council, we found surprising and disappointing.
You have the mandate required to put the wishes of South Leeds and yourselves into action and we are not going to allow the Centre to fall quietly off your radar now, or at any time in the future.
As another school hot summer holiday approaches, and sessions at the Aquatic Centre still fail teenagers, young children, the disabled, elderly and all our leisure swimmers it highlights once again the importance of this swimming facility in the south.
If the simplest option is to restore an updated pool with better facilities and a café/socialising area in the first instance and build on the success of that by involving local community groups and schools then let us see some movement in that direction.
If our bigger community, health and educationally orientated plans are too much for the present at least get our pool up and running for the huge South Leeds community that live within a stone’s throw of the site.
Although we realise there has been some work in the last few months in trying to secure a funding arrangement, we are disappointed that this doesn’t appear to be progressing with adequate haste and would remind you that we are still fighting to keep this facility which is essential to the health and wellbeing of our community’s large and needy residents.
We look forward to hearing of positive progress and plans as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely
SPLASH and all residents and communities in South Leeds
Contact: Sally Cieslik 42 LS11 7BG 07889945345
