Bulletin - sent out on 8th March 2004
NEXT MEETING THURSDAY MARCH 11TH	The next meeting of the Haggerston Pool Campaign is Thursday 11th March at 5:30/6 pm at the doctors surgery (Queensbridge Practice) at 24 Holly St. Everyone welcome.
HAGGERSTON POOL AND UBS	The financial services company UBS has published its proposal to sponsor a City Academy (independent mixed secondary school) on the site of Laburnum primary school see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3516349.stm. The school will specialise in maths and music and is due to open in September 2006. There is no mention of Haggerston Pool in the plans as published, but the original architects study included the pool building as a sports facility (including pool) for school and public use. UBS have commissioned a conservation study of the pool building to determine the cost and options for incorporating the pool in the plans. This should be ready this April.
CLISSOLD LEISURE CENTRE CLOSED INDEFINITELY	Although it was open for less than 2 years a press release on the council website confirms Clissold Leisure Centre is now closed indefinitely : "Hackney Council received last week a detailed report from independent architects which identifies that there are complex and serious defects throughout the building. Although further technical investigation is required before any remedial work can be commenced it would appear at this time that we will be unable to reopen the centre in the near future......Hackney Council has already launched legal action against a number of parties and we are determined to pursue this vigorously". http://156.61.16.5/news/data/Obtree_getrelease.asp?id=1077 In a letter to the Clissold pool campaigners, Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe confirms that the centre cost £31 million to build, that the council has set out £592,000 for legal fees and paid £300,000 to Leisure Connection (the pool operators) for remedial works. More information on www.clissoldleisure.com
SCHOOL SWIMMIING	The 2003 audit of school swimming by the Learning Trust (Hackney's independent Education Department) shows that last year in more than half of Hackney's primary schools, 50% or more of children left unable to swim. Being able to swim 25m is a national curriculum standard for children in their last year of primary school. The audit was carried out before Clissold Leisure Centre closed and one quarter of schools named Clissold as the pool they were using. Two schools were offering no swimming at all, and both identified "lack of pool time" as the main factor. Four schools were already using pools outside of Hackney.
KINGS HALL + BRITANNIA LEISURE CENTRE	Leisure Connection took over the management of Hackney's leisure facilities on 1 February 2002. One condition of the contract was that they would spend £1.8 million upgrading and installing equipment at the 2 centres within 2 years of the start of the contract. Kings Hall and Britannia Leisure Centres were both closed over the new year period due to faulty boilers. Leisure Connection are now investing £350,000 into new boilers for Kings Hall and Britannia according to a press release on Hackney Council's website http://156.61.16.5/news/data/Obtree_getrelease.asp?id=1077
LONDON FIELDS LIDO	London Fields User Group report that negotiations continue with Hackney Council about signing the lease for the Environment Trust to take over the abandoned Lido and redevelop as an indoor pool. They cannot raise the funds they need without the lease. Hackney MP Diane Abbott reports in this week's Hackney Gazette that the hold-up on signing the lease is that the council is in the middle of reviewing its sports and leisure strategy and does not want to make any big decisions until this is done. The plans for London Fields Lido and the article can be seen at http://londonpoolscampaign.ground-level.org/pools/londonfieldslido or contact the Environment Trust 7264 4660.
LONDON POOLS CAMPAIGN	London Pools campaign is negotiating corporate sponsorship for the next year. The aims of the organisation are to stop pool closures and to see the setting up of a London Pools Trust associated with the GLA to take on London's pools as local authorities are struggling to manage pools across the capital. In the last couple of months 2 new campaigns have started - in Northolt and Ilford - where facilities are threatened. London loses on average one public baths each year from a total of about 100.
WHERE CAN WE SWIM? 25M+ POOLS	Kings Hall Baths: Lower Clapton Road, E5. The only public lane pool open in Hackney. Cost per swim £3.50. Opening times Mon - Fri 7am - 10pm. Sat/Sun 8am - 8pm Market Sports: Bateman's Row, EC2. Market Sports ran the temporary pools in Spitalfields and Broadgate which many people will have used (now closed due to area being developed). They've just opened a 25m pool in Bateman's Row (small road running west off Shoreditch High St). Market Sports are also part of the bid to re-open London Fields Lido. Opening times Mon - Fri 7am - 10pm. Sat/Sun 10am to 6pm. Costs £51 per month plus £30 joining fee (includes use of gym, sauna + steam etc). York Hall Baths: Old Ford Road, E2. Near Bethnal Green Tube Station. Recently saved from closure by very successful campaign run by swimmers and boxers(see above). Cost per swim £2.65. Opening times Mon-Fri 7am-9pm & Sat-Sun 8am-6pm Highbury Pool :Highbury Crescent, N1, opposite Highbury and Islington tube station. Indoor pool built on the site of the old lido. Run by Aqua Terra, not for profit pool operators for Islington Council. Opening times weekdays 6:30am - 10pm. Sat 6:30am - 7:30pm. Sun 7:30am - 10pm. Cost per swim £3.10. Iron Monger Row Baths: Iron Monger Row, off Old St, EC1. 243 bus from Kingsland Road or Old St tube. 30.5 m pool. Some rumours about this pool closing during council by-election in the area, and in the time before Aquaterra signed their new contract this time last year. These were scotched by Council and Aquaterra who have 10 year contract to run Islington's pools. Costs £3.10 per swim. Opening Times Mon 6:30am - 9:30pm, Tue/Wed/Thur 6:30am - 8pm. Fri 6:30am - 7pm. Sat 9am - 5pm. Sun 12pm - 5pm. Tottenham Green Leisure Centre: Philip Lane, N15. Buses up Kingsland Road, or Seven Sisters tube. 3 pools, largest 25m. Costs £2.55 before 3pm then £3. Opening times weekdays 7am - 9:30pm. Sat/Sun 7am - 5:30pm.
OTHER POOLS	Britannia Leisure Centre: Hyde Road (near Shoreditch Park), N1. Leisure pool - good for children's swimming not lane swimming. Cost per swim: £2.20 adults, £1.50 children. Opening times 9am - 6.45pm except Weds/Sat when closes 5.45pm. Sunstone: Northwold Road, N16. Women's private health club with 15m 3 lane pool plus gym, health and fitness classes etc.