News

Lido could be axed as part of council spending cuts

By Pete Castle
January 24, 2011

ALDERSHOT’S historic lido could be closed as part of council plans to cut £1million of public services next year.

The outdoor swimming complex is thought to be one of the services to the public that might face the axe in Aldershot and Farnborough as Rushmoor Borough Council struggles to cut £2.4m from its budget in April.

The proposal is understood to be one of those being considered behind closed doors by councillors.

Other plans that may be considered could include closing public toilets, charging people more for car parking and hiking up fees for using the council-run crematorium, the News & Mail understands.

Popular council-run family events, such as the Green and Global Fun Day at the Princes Hall and Aldershot’s Victoria Day celebrations, could also be cut or scaled down, the council’s finance director said.

The first in a series of secret meetings was held on Monday this week as councillors from all parties sat down to discuss their public service priorities.

While members of the public were not allowed access to the discussion, it is understood that the elected politicians were given around 40 options for cuts, which they were asked to rank in preference.

However, the council’s director of finance Peter Gardner admitted that even if all of the proposals for service cuts were agreed by the politicians, they would still need to find more savings later in the year to make ends meet.

Mr Gardner, Rushmoor’s second highest-ranking civil servant, said that the unprecedented cut to the council’s budget over the next three years meant that more cuts would be necessary.

He added that the task was ‘easily the most challenging’ of his 21 years in charge of the borough’s finances, with the central government grant to Rushmoor being slashed by almost a quarter, from £7m to £5.3m, in one year.

The cut is the worst of any district council in Surrey or Hampshire.

With other losses in income – particularly a drop in interest payments on the £40m the council has in the bank from selling off its council houses in 1995 – the council would have to find £2.4m in cuts this year, £3.2m the following year and £3.9m the year after.

Mr Gardner said that £1.4m of savings had been found that would not directly effect frontline services through a pay freeze, staff redundancies, and other savings.

That left another £1m of cuts to be found for 2011/12, with more cuts necessary for the following two years.

“We are looking at every area. There is not a single service that has not been considered,” he said.

Peter Moyle, leader of the Conservative-run council, denied that the decisions on cuts were being made behind closed doors, pointing out that this week’s ‘workshops’ were open to councillors from all parties.

Councillors are due to meet privately again this Monday to further discuss their options, before a final range of cuts are considered in public at the council’s cabinet committee meeting on February 1.

The threat to the lido is not the first it has faced in its 80-year history. The pool, which was used as one of the venues for the 1948 Olympic Games, has consistently run at a loss, costing taxpayers almost a quarter of a million pounds last year after the dismal summer weather in 2009 meant visitor numbers were down.

Although it costs less than a third of both the Aldershot indoor pools and Farnborough leisure centre, it is thought that the cost is considered high for a facility that is only open for a few months each year, despite being enjoyed by up to 50,000 visitors.

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Concubine, I'm well aware that the companys I listed are private, my point was, that there is nothing for children in Aldershot apart from the Lido which maybe closed down. How can you compare Farnborough rec to connaught leisure centre?????????? As for the health centre, you've obviously been extremely lucky, or you work there.

aldershotgal, Aldershot
31/01/2011 at 11:34

As a North Town resident I have to admit Aldershot does have all the facilities West End Cente, Princes Hall, Lido, Military Stadium etc. Farnborough can have the council offices - nowadways most people do their stuff over the phone or on line anyway! I've never had a problem with the health centre personally been seen very quick as have my family. It's like having a multi-million pound brand new hospital on your doorstep! Aldershotgal - you're not really getting it, Farnborough Rec is no better than Connaught Leisure Centre and all the things you are talking about our private busines, not funded by the taxpayer.

Concubine, Aldershot
30/01/2011 at 19:40

from about 1970 to 1979 when i left the area Farnborough always was the poor relation to Aldershot and when moved to another county there was one area that was the poor relaltion to that counciil. What happens is counci'ls neglect an area for approx 20 years and then regenerate it, and the area that's had the money for the previous years get upset. I lived through the good years of an army base (and although civvies and squaddies don't mix) there was money spent by the squaddies. Technically I lived in Surrey but cash went to Aldershot, I was a shots regular and spent my spare time in Aldershot (lido, indoor swiimming pool, supporting the shots, drinking cider in Manor Park etc), Suppor the Lido but don't make it a slanging match no one wins those it just distracts from the main cause

giggleslippers, not hampshire
28/01/2011 at 20:53

Reply to Sad to hear that Aldershot Born , I hope the treatment has gone well , my wife has been udergoing cancer treatment and I know that it can seriously kick your legs away . I think that may put the threat to the Lido in perspective and the threat the Tories plans hold nationally into more focus .I recommend a brainstorming excersize to think of a way of protecting our local treasures against the thoughtless speed these cuts are being forced upon us and for those that can ,join the wider movement against cuts in London on March 26 . I'll be there , Si G, Farnborough

I have bladder cancer and vascular leg problems on top but ha ho just have to cope!

I just seen bit on front of aldershot news about lido and Councillior Alex Crawford - sorry to hear that he didn't know about the RBC exploring the possibility of the lido becoming more of a community facility and to involve locals in its running. apparently RBC are keen to hear from anyone who was interested in being involved in such a project?

Aldershot Born
28/01/2011 at 15:50

I don't know why the people of Farnborough keep going on about the health centre in Aldershot, yes it's new and probably did cost alot of money but you still have to wait for 5 days to see a doctor, thats if anyone actually answers the phone of course!. What does Aldershot actually have for kids ? ah yes an outdoor swimming pool thats probably going to be closed down. Farnborough has a leisure centre, wizzyworld, Laser run and run-about.

aldershotgal, Aldershot
28/01/2011 at 10:25

As a Farnborough lad I'm sick of these comments from these keyboard warriors too. Aldershot has all the facilities and to cap it all has just opened a massive health centre, which costs millions and millions and is about the same size as a hospital!

Smiler
27/01/2011 at 15:06

This facility is mis-managed. I am heavily involved in the Lido and I think my orginisation holds part of the key to making the Lido an assett to the local community. We use the Lido once a week from late may to late october. Why not use us as a partner to supply outdoor watersport education to schools, social networking groups, hard to reach members of the community and group with disabilities. This facility would be used with very little outlay as all the equipment is ALREADY stored there.

NOVAL IDEAR HEY?

Tosmos
27/01/2011 at 13:15

RUSHMOOR - Do not sell or lease out this facility to a private company. Hand over a long term lease to a community trust who could run it on a non-profit basis for the community. In addition the asset remains the property of the people of Rushmoor. Don't make this a slanging match between Aldershot & Farnborough.

NC1
27/01/2011 at 10:22

sorry to spoil all of your fun but there is jack all for anyone to do anything in aldershot right now so what are the kids supposed to do in the summer the Lido is a cheap but fun filled day for all even those that don't have the money to send there kids to all of the expensive activities in the summer.. The council waste a lot of money including irrigation bowling greens (Farnborough) or would if they paid their bills..

tinks 41
27/01/2011 at 08:30

Here's an even better Idea close the swimming pool and let's build a Mosque.

Now all joking apart is any body in there rite mind wanting to invest in a town that has got nothing going for it just look back and add up all that has gone you'll be surprised?

D J, Aldershot
27/01/2011 at 00:59

Sad to hear that Aldershot Born , I hope the treatment has gone well , my wife has been udergoing cancer treatment and I know that it can seriously kick your legs away . I think that may put the threat to the Lido in perspective and the threat the Tories plans hold nationally into more focus .I recommend a brainstorming excersize to think of a way of protecting our local treasures against the thoughtless speed these cuts are being forced upon us and for those that can ,join the wider movement against cuts in London on March 26 . I'll be there ,

Si G, Farnborough
26/01/2011 at 18:39

Answer to Dave2009

I would love to do more than talk on a web site but unfortunately I have cancer and not long been out of hospital.

Aldershot Born
26/01/2011 at 17:19

Aldershot Born - it hasn't hit a nerve, just fed up of your generalising statements which bear no resemblance to reality. As Si G states, Aldershot has plenty of facilities Farnborough doesn't. Apart from you're beloved Council Offices. You're constant moan of how disadvataged Aldershot is doesn't hold weight. Yes there are deprived areas, but there are areas like that everywhere. Different areas have different services.

But then again, perhaps we should all do something more proactive towards keeping these valuable facilities than arguing about it on an local news website???

dave2009
26/01/2011 at 14:49

Shotto , you could make comments about all sorts of changes as being under some sort of conspiracy , but most are simply in response to common sense or maket forces .After some analysis ... The fire station is closer to everyone in Aldershot than it is to anyone north or west of the M3 and is equidistant from both town centes.I don't know anything about your sixth from college or special schools , but of course requirement comes from numbers .... sorry , but Farnborough does have more students and very poor schools , so a sixth form college is a genuine need and If you refer to the Wavell campus as the special school , that is right next to the fire station , as I have already said this location serves both towns equally . I agree with you that there should be a council surgery in Aldershot . The investment as the Farnborough rec has simply introduced a bowling alley and a marketable gym , both are commercial enterprises , the rest is still a dump . You say that you are trying highlight a facilities comparison , but your first comment was to suggest that something in Farnborough closes instead of the Lido ... why and what ? I am slightly concerned by this attitude . I suggest a more united front would be better . If you want to save it , campaign for it , get people to use it , find commercial backers and make it a viable facility, don't simply say , oh look they want to save money by closing our loss making Lido , it must be because it's not in Farnborough .... there's nothing like that it Farnborough !

Si G, Farnborough
26/01/2011 at 12:00

Dave2009 its obviously hit a nerve?

Everything I stated is the truth!

What about the amount of money wasted tax ppayers money on following: http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/s/2067997_tag_inquiry_will_cost_at_least_174k

This is in Farnborugh and yet a waste of money especially when RBC done a u- turn on it: http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/news/s/2079477_council_uturn_on_airport_flights_cap

Also the money on the rushmoor in Bloom should be cut until the country or our area is in a better state, no need to spend money on flowers when old people and disabled of the borough are going with out help.

I also like to agree with mai that if investment had been made on the lido to put a roof on the pool they would beable to of used it every day but we didn't have the investment.

RBC built a ice rink instead that wasn't built to full size like it was suppose to be cut costs as usual and then closed it and sold it on to private enterprise, that money could of gone towards a roof for the lido!

I am still sure that the lido could of been used for outside sports as it is - but RBC would rather shut it all together because its in Aldershot.

Farnborough's sports centre has had investment and is open till late and yet Farnborough residents say their is nothing to do in Farnborough?