Wednesday 16 October 2013

"And A Pony, Don't Forget The Pony!"

Support from families living outside the borough could ebb away from Blackburn’s proposed £13.5million swimming and leisure complex
Oh?
… because the pool will no longer have a wave machine.
I...

I just...

*speechless*
Ten families who live outside Blackburn with Darwen responded to an exhibition at the 26-year-old Waves Water Fun Centre by saying that the loss of the wave machine meant they would no longer go there for a swim.
So don't go. Job done!
Tory group leader Mike Lee responded to the complaints by telling borough Leisure boss Damian Talbot to ensure the fun element of the new complex was enough to attract out-of-town families to come to Blackburn not just to swim but shop and spend money.
They are going to have to spend a lot to recoup the £8.5 million grant the council’s giving the leisure centre to get it built!

4 comments:

Macheath said...

Ten families attending an exhibition on the plans - a self-selected group with a vested interest?

It rather reminds me of similar arguments that surfaced years ago over another leisure centre.

Despite its remote location and a local climate that makes even the most hardened souls reluctant to disrobe at any time, the Council decided that what was needed was a leisure pool complete with flume and large imported palm trees.

(To widespread hilarity, the grand opening was marred by a column of soldier ants marching in a determined fashion out of the palm tree trunk and along the oh-so-trendy curved walkways.)

http://idler.co.uk/hawick/

Bucko said...

I'm gutted. I always thought Waves was a private enterprise.

I remember when it first opened, I was only really a nipper. A local councillor was first on the waterslide with press in attendance. There was something wrong with the slide and he cut himself badly. The opening had to be delayed for a H&S inspection.

I've had a long standing debate with a Darwen councillor about ways we could cut expenses. It's a little out of his area but worth pointing out I suppose.

There used to be a perfectly good leisure centre in Darwen when Labour were in power. They knocked it down and moved it ten feet down the road.

After they rebuilt it, they made a lot of the services 'free'. I used to play badminton there weekly, but after they made it 'free' we could never get a bloody court. They were all packed with people who never used to pay for the services previously.

The free leisure has saved about 300 heart attacks according to the lefties. It's not done any good for those of us who used to pay for our leisure.

John Pickworth said...

Coun Talbot said: “There will be a big water fun element.

Yay! Crocodiles :-)

JuliaM said...

"Ten families attending an exhibition on the plans - a self-selected group with a vested interest?"

It's certainly far too small to be a statistical signifier, but it probably ticks a box on the 'consulting the public' objective...

"They were all packed with people who never used to pay for the services previously."

They clearly never realised TANSTAAFL...

"Yay! Crocodiles :-)"

That would improve the swimming stats....for the survivors!