At the Ventnor Town Council (VTC) meeting on Monday night (12th November), councillors voted in favour of taking on the costs of maintaining the paddling pool, following news that the Isle of Wight council wished to no longer cover the costs.
An estimated annual cost of between £2,700 and £3,700 was put forward to councillors by the clerk. It was explained that the pool is repainted at the beginning of the season, with the water drained and refilled every morning throughout.
“We have no choice”
Councillors believed they had no choice but to agree to cover the costs, recognising the importance of the paddling pool, not only to Islanders and local businesses, but also to tourists.
Cllr Toogood advised that he’d spoken with the current contractors, who confirmed they’d be happy to continue with the work should the VTC take on the costs. It was therefore agreed that the contract would not be put out to tender.
“Mean spirited”
Cllr Robinson asked that the response to the Isle of Wight council be worded very strongly to express concern at the VTC having to take on yet another cost previously covered by the IWC.
The move by the IWC to no longer fund the maintenance of the three paddling pools on the Island was described by Cllr George as “mean spirited” and “pathetic Tory dogma nonsense.”
“We can’t let it close”
Cllr Geddes advised that she had spoken with many residents about the subject, with the overwhelming response being that they (the residents) would not allow the pool to close – even if this meant volunteers cleaning and maintaining it.
“We hold the moral high ground”
Former Isle of Wight councillor, Cllr Rees, claimed that none of the £4m green tourism grant that the IWC had recently received from the Government would be spent in Ventnor.
He went on to say that whatever the IWC threw at them, the VTC would “hold the moral high ground”.
Extended season
It was agreed that from 2013, the paddling pool would be opened from Easter, rather than the usual end of May school holiday.
Cllr Morgan suggested that if the weather wasn’t warm enough for children to paddle or swim in the pool, it could be used for sailing model boats or similar, urging councillors that it was important for them to make the best of the situation.
Discussions with the IWC would be ongoing and will include a request for an initial financial contribution to the costs, as well as responsibility for any appropriate signage.
Social media comment
Update: 15:36 For readers not using social media, beside the 40+ ‘Likes’ the story got on Facebook, here are some of the reaction Islanders gave.
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