Where is the Plymstock Pool? Apparently it is on the way according to Plymouth’s Tory Leader. For the last three years we’ve been putting pressure on Plymouth’s Tory council to come clean about their intentions to build a swimming pool in Plymstock – a Tory manifesto pledge now 22 years old.
A few days ago I attacked the Tories for failing to mention their promised Plymstock Pool in the 67 page Aquatics Strategy for Plymouth. Now, Tory Council Leader, Cllr Vivien Pengelly, has said that “There will be a swimming pool. It will be at the Plymstock end of Sherford and work will be starting this year.” Strong stuff, but we’ve heard this type of media pleasing rhethoric before – 22 years ago in fact (when I was eight years old!).
This is an important comment from Cllr Pengelly – and it tells us three things about the Tory plans for a Plymstock Pool.
a) They know that this issue is damaging their reputation because normally they just refuse to answer letters – commenting on my press release puts their response on the record and they can (and will) be held to account for their statement. I’m still waiting for a response to five letters from Cllr Glenn Jordan, the Tories’ Leisure spokesperson about the Plymstock Pool but now we have a statement from the Leader herself about a delivery timeline.
b) They’ve set a deadline for when a swimming pool must be started – the end of the year. That’s 10 months to start work which will take the promise to the ripe old age of 23 years. Those people who are campaigning to hold the Tories to account for their Plymstock Pool promise now have a deadline. Put it in your calandars!
c) The pressure we’ve put on Vivien Pengelly is working. She’s broken ranks on the Plymstock Pool because she knows her Council’s failure to deliver one is hurting her re-election chances in Plymstock on 6 May.
I spoke to Cllr Tudor Evans, the Leader of the Labour Group on Plymouth City Council, earlier today. We agreed to keep the pressure on for the Tories to come clean about their plans for a Plymstock Pool. They didn’t promise a pool in Sherford, they promised one for Plymstock. They’ve now pushed a new deadline off into the horizon, but the end of the year will come round sooner than Vivien Pengelly thinks and Labour will be there asking then, as we’ve done for the past few years…where is the Plymstock Pool?
To help keep pressure on the Tories I’ve started a Facebook group – Where is the Plymstock Pool? Can you join and invite your Plymstock friends. Let’s keep the pressure on.
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