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Published:
April 8, 2008
Celebrations as Burnham
swimming pool is saved from closure
Champagne
bottles were cracked open in Burnham on Tuesday evening (April
8th) as delighted councillors led the celebrations to mark the
unveiling of new bosses to run the town's swimming pool.
 Triathlon
champion Sara-Jane Cox and her husband Mark Conklin were named
earlier in the day as the new lease holders of the closure-threatened
pool following six months of uncertainty.
Over
250 residents crowded into the Princess Hall to hear how the couple
intend to transform the pool into a swimming and sports academy.
Among
the many questions asked was how long the pool would close for
refurbishment.
Mr
Conklin said the facility would shut for 4-6 weeks soon after
he and Sara take over the property on June 2nd while the work
is carried out. "We want it to re-open again by the summer
holidays," he added.
Duncan
McGinty, Leader of Sedgemoor District Council, confirmed that
the new bosses have been awarded a 99 year-lease which includes
a clause requiring a 20 year commitment for the property to remain
a swimming pool. It was also confirmed that the pool's car park
would continue to be owned and run by Sedgemoor and that nearby
tennis courts have not been included in the lease.
 Mr
Conklin said he and Sara are "seriously considering"
developing the pool's courtyard which currently features a padding
pool and grass area. "We may look to introduce therapy pools
and rooms there if planners approve such a scheme," he said.
Asked
whether he and Sara are expecting to quickly turn around the pool's
fortunes, he said: "We're not expecting to quickly turn it
around from its current loss-making state. We don't expect to
see a fast turnaround. We want to give something back to the community
and understand that there's no guarantee we'll make money here.
The key to the pool's future success is working out how to convert
the 7,000 people who signed the petition to come to the pool and
regularly use it."
He
added that the pool's facilities would also be boosted by the
addition of a coffee shop and sports retail store selling sports
clothing and kit, which would generate revenue towards the current
£117.50 per hour cost of running the pool. Last year, it
incurred an overall loss of £299,434.
In
addition to swimming, the pool will become a centre for triathlons,
running, cycling and fitness. It will include a Health and Wellness
Centre for physiotherapy, massage, and nutritional advice.
Burnham
Deputy Mayor Cllr Neville Jones, who was one of the members on
the task group which picked Sara and Mark to take over the pool,
said: "It gives me great satisfaction to see Sara doing this,
having known her for many years. They will both make a great success
of it."
Liberal
Democrat parliamentary candidate Tessa Munt, who was also at Tuesday's
public meeting, welcomed the announcement, saying it was the "right
result for Burnham."
RELATED
LINKS:
Official
'Save Our Swimming Pool' website
Meet
the couple who have saved Burnham pool
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Huge
turnout at packed swimming pool public meeting
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Public
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Hundreds
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'We'll
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Burnham
swimming pool 'may permanently close by April 2008'
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