OLD Town LibDems are staging an Open Day to discuss the future of Motcombe Pool.
Residents are furious with the council for letting the Pool slide into a state of disrepair.
Big investment is needed – something the ruling LibDems say they can’t afford.
Here they are: “We are holding an Open Day at the pool on 28th April. We won’t be able to access the main pool area due to health and safety reasons, but please do come down and find out more about what happens next.
You’ll be able to see some of the history of the pool; see some of the challenges we need to overcome; find out about the journey of Saltdean Lido over the last few years; and find out about how you can get involved in restoring this much loved community asset for future generations.
If you’re interested in finding out more, visit our website at www.motcombepool.org and sign up for further details.”
The LibDems go on: “Your local Lib Dem team have been working hard to secure the future of the well-loved Motcombe pool.In the last few months, led by Councillors Peter Diplock and Robin Maxted, and supported by the local community, we have:
• Formed Motcombe Community Pool CIC;
• Further protected the pool by seeking to register it as an asset of community value;
• Secured funding of £200k from the Borough Council;
• Connected with Saltdean Lido;
• Spoken with numerous stakeholders, partners and groups about further funding;
• Launched our website;
• Organised an Open Day at the pool taking place on 28th April.
The pool has been closed since the onset of the pandemic, mainly due to the impossibility of making such a small space Covid- safe.
During this time we took the opportunity to run a full survey of the pool and the building itself. Built in 1904, and now over 120 years old, the pool needs a complete overhaul.
With our government revenue grant cut from over £10m a year in 2010 to zero now, finding resources to maintain all our assets has been and continues to be a challenge.
The future for Motcombe pool is best secured through the creation of a CIC, seeking funding from the full range of available of sources, and putting residents at the heart of its future.
Alongside this, we are looking at creating a charitable trust to run alongside the CIC, opening up yet more potential sources of funding.
As well as the £200k secured from the Borough Council, we have also obtained a further £10k from the Borough to assist in obtaining grant funding.
The example of Saltdean Lido over the last seven years, from closure to imminent reopening, after gaining funding of circa £7m, shows that this model works and reopening a refurbished Motcombe pool can be done. We need you!”