Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,225
Frankly I don't know Jan at this stage. It will be down to the costs not the delivered aspiration. It's not ruled out.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Nearest one is in London I believe, the problem with the 50 metre pool is that it would mean less space for other things.
Guest 977- Registered: 27 Jun 2013
- Posts: 1,031
Only if you're building on a restricted site like the current one or Buckland Mill, with a greenfield site at Whitfield it would be finances that would be the limiting factor as Paul says (not just building costs, running costs and income to consider).
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,225
Correct Ray. It is in the mix . If the public wanted it, then they would need to know the costs & whether they supported the Council Tax rise to finance & meet ongoing costs if necessary.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Nearest Olympic size pool is Dunkerque. Others in Bethune, Lens, Lille and Valenciennes.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,782
Ray, from what I have read the nearest is in London but not sure.
Paul, I will keep my fingers crossed.
I am sure that building a large pool like that would be just what Dover needs to counteract all the negative publicity this whole area of Kent keeps getting.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Paul M- Registered: 1 Feb 2016
- Posts: 393
I suspect the nearest 50m pools are at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre or on the Olympics site? I can't see how having an Olympic size swimming pool will bring extra money into Dover. There may be a call for the occasional swimming event but the positives of that would be outweighed by it being mainly empty during the rest of the year. I'm sure the funding and available space would be better suited by providing a wider range of facilities.
Paul Watkins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 9 Nov 2011
- Posts: 2,225
Be interesting to see how well used either of those is Paul given the catchment area?
Guest 1266- Registered: 8 May 2014
- Posts: 381
I can't see it getting of the ground if it needs tax payers money because DDC are resented by so many in the district. The problem is they come across as only representing Dover so will struggle selling this to a wider audience. Even Paul's latest blog is all about our town not the district. PR disaster.
http://www.dover.gov.uk/Council--Democracy/LeadersBlog/Home.aspxJack of Hearts
Paul M- Registered: 1 Feb 2016
- Posts: 393
I'm sure the information on useage is available somewhere. I know Crystal Palace is used a lot during the week but if you take out the school visits the swimming pool is hardly used at all. I reckon more people use Tides and the Stour at Ashford swimming facilities more than the pool at Crystal Palace. What's more fun, going down a slide and passing through a lazy river or swimming up and down a lonely lane in a big swimming pool? Ask the kids. They'll give you an honest answer.
Karlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,466
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,782
Maybe one of the reasons the pool is not used more is due to it being tatty also because of the schools using it during the day. Quite often my daughter and great grandaughter could not go because the pool was being used by schools so they went to Tides.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
A few points I would like to raise.
a) An Olympic Sized pool would be a great feather in the cap of the district and would attract competitions but would serious swimmers who find Dover more convenient flood in leaving local ones that just like a splash about out in the cold?
b) The demands of the public are for so many facilities that something the size of Wembley stadium would be needed to house everything that people want in it.
c) Should the 50 metre pool not take off or somewhere like Ashford built one too the cry of "White Elephant" would go up.
Guest 977- Registered: 27 Jun 2013
- Posts: 1,031
For those interested this is a link to the Sport England
Design Guide for Swimming Pools.
I haven't read all of it myself but it's clear on a quick scan there are far more options than number and length of lanes, and far more potential activities than swimming up and down lanes.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,782
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Some very good points raised by the Dover Society but I suspect the decision of locating it in Whitfield has already been made.
http://www.dover-express.co.uk/leisure-centre-Buckland/story-29143693-detail/story.htmlKarlos- Location: Dover
- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 2,466
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Terrible decision in my view fair enough if businesses insist on locating there but totally wrong for DDC to take away another facility from town.
Ross Miller likes this
Reginald Barrington
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 17 Dec 2014
- Posts: 3,225
Where we all knew they were intending to put it from the start.
Now they can get on with whatever they have had in mind for the current site, a drive through takeaway perhaps.
Arte et Marte
Guest 1395- Registered: 5 Nov 2014
- Posts: 463
It looks as though it will be off the same roundabout as the new Lidl so from being a complete waste of space, that roundabout will have a function at last!
Lew Finnis
